Graduate Program in Chemistry and Biochemistry

For more information regarding the Master's Degree programs in

Chemistry or Biochemistry, please write or e-mail:

Graduate Coordinator Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

California State University, Northridge Northridge, California 91330-8262 E-mail: karin.crowhurst@csun.edu

Visit the CSUN Chemistry and Biochemistry home page

http://www.csun.edu/chemistry

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THE UNIVERSITY: California State University Northridge

(CSUN) is one of 23 institutions that comprise the California State University system. CSUN is located on 350 acres in the northwestern part of the San Fernando Valley, a suburban area of the City of Los Angeles.

Utilizing the facilities of many physical structures on a beautifully landscaped campus, the 1,821 full and part-time faculty members and over 30,000 students engage in intellectual, cultural, social and recreational activities designed to increase the personal and professional development, the sense of commitment, and the desire for involvement of all who make up the University community.

Graduate student Joe Benoun evaluating his fluorescence microscopy data.

GRADUATE PROGRAM: The Chemistry and Biochemistry

Department currently offers two Master of Science degrees. The MS Chemistry degree allows specialization in the areas of organic, inorganic, physical, analytical or biochemistry and is primarily intended for students desiring research-oriented careers in the chemical industry, Postsecondary chemistry teaching or entry into Ph.D. programs. The MS Biochemistry degree allows specialization in the areas of biochemistry, molecular biology, or bioorganic chemistry and is primarily intended for students desiring research-oriented careers in chemical, biochemical, biotech industry, Postsecondary chemistry teaching or entry into Ph.D. programs. Both programs require 30 units of graduate study, including a research project and a thesis. The modest size of our graduate program should be particularly attractive to those students who wish to pursue a program of research and study in close collaboration with a research advisor of their choice.

DEPARTMENT FACILITIES: The Department is housed in a

three-story science complex, complete with excellent technical support staff and facilities.

The Department has a complete range of modern instrumentation including laser Raman, high-field (400 and 600 MHz) multinuclear NMR spectrometers, low temperature X-ray diffractometer, FT-IR, a molecular graphics facility, GC, LC and inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometers, and numerous other spectrophotometers, chromatographs, microscopes and microprocessor-controlled instruments.

The university library contains over 1.2 million volumes and approximately 2,500 current periodicals, most of which are also available online, as well as a CAS ONLINE service. Excellent computing facilities are available.

HOW TO APPLY: The University accepts applications

beginning Nov. 1 for the following fall semester, and Aug. 1 for the spring semester. It is to the applicant's advantage to file during the month of November or August for the subsequent fall or spring semester. However, the University will continue to accept applications beyond these months as long as applications do not exceed the available openings. Submit your application to www.calstate.edu/apply; additionally, submit to the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry a personal statement and at least 1 letter of recommendation (sent directly by the referee). Refer to our website for details.

EXPENSES: The cost of attending CSUN is an exceptional

value. For the latest information on fees, see the California State University, Northridge website: www.csun.edu. Living expenses are additional.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT: Teaching assistantships are available

to qualified candidates each semester, and supplementary income may be obtained in summer. Applications should be made directly to the Graduate Coordinator, Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, CSUN, Northridge, CA 91330-8262.

FINANCIAL AID: The Financial Aid Office of CSUN administers

a variety of programs for students demonstrating financial need. For further information, please visit the CSUN Financial Aid Office website (www.csun.edu/financialaid).

HOUSING: The University’s on-campus housing can

accommodate over 2,100 students. There are also numerous apartments, houses, and rooming arrangements located near the university listed with the Off-Campus Housing Office.

RECREATION: Northridge is close to the beaches, the

mountains, the desert and the cultural activities of the greater Los Angeles area. CSUN is also within easy reach of Caltech, JPL, UCLA, USC and the social and intellectual activities there. The University maintains a variety of recreational facilities.

Graduate student Nick Baca with an ultra-high vacuum x-ray photoelectron spectrometer.

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MASTER OF SCIENCE IN CHEMISTRY

The Master of Science in Chemistry requires submission of an acceptable thesis based on laboratory or computational research, within five years of attaining classified status. This option prepares students for research-oriented careers in the chemical industry, for entry to doctoral degree programs or for teaching chemistry at institutions such as community colleges. For admission to classified graduate status in the program, a student needs the following: 1. A Bachelor’s Degree with a 3.0 overall grade point average in a Chemistry major equivalent to that at CSUN, or a major providing sufficient Chemistry background. 2. Entering graduate students are required to take proficiency examinations in any three of organic, analytical, physical, inorganic chemistry and biochemistry. These are standardized, multiple-choice exams prepared by the American Chemical Society covering basic one-year sequences in the given areas. The exams are given before registration week of the semester in which a student enters our program, and the results are used to help plan a course of study. Unsatisfactory scores will require remedial coursework before entering regular graduate courses. International students must submit a minimum TOEFL score of 213 or IELTS score of 6.5. 3. Departmental approval. 4. A passing score on the Upper Division Writing Proficiency Examination. For the Degree: 1. A minimum of 30 units of graduate work including a thesis. At least 21 units must be taken in 500- or 600-level courses. a. Required Courses (6-12 units) Chem 691. Literature Seminar 1 unit Chem 692. Thesis Seminar 1 Chem 696. Directed Graduate Research 3-7 Chem 698. Thesis 1-3 b. Electives (18 to 24 units)

These electives should be selected with the approval of the graduate advisor from 400- and 500-level Chemistry courses and must include at least one course that has a laboratory component. A maximum of 9 units of 400-level courses may be applied toward the 30 units required for the degree.

2. Examination. Oral defense of thesis. 3. Formal approval by the Graduate Thesis Committee.

MASTER OF SCIENCE IN BIOCHEMISTRY The Master of Science in Biochemistry degree requires submission of an acceptable thesis based on laboratory or computational research, within five years of attaining classified status. This option prepares students for research-oriented careers in biochemistry or biotechnology industries, for entry to doctoral degree programs or for teaching biochemistry at institutions such as community colleges.

For admission to classified graduate status in the program, a student needs the following:

1. A Bachelor's Degree with a 3.0 overall grade point average with major in Chemistry, Biochemistry or other areas with the appropriate science content. 2. Entering graduate students are required to take proficiency exams in biochemistry and organic chemistry plus one more chemistry (analytical, physical or inorganic chemistry). These are standardized, multiple-choice exams prepared by the American Chemical Society covering basic one-year sequen-ces in the given areas. The exams are given in advance of the semester in which a student enters our program, and the results are used to help plan a course of study. Unsatisfactory scores will require remedial coursework before entering regular graduate courses. International students must submit a minimum TOEFL score of 213 or IELTS score of 6.5. 3. Departmental approval. 4. A passing score on the Upper Division Writing Proficiency

Examination. For the Degree: 1. A minimum of 30 units of graduate work including a thesis. At least 21 units must be taken in 500- or 600-level courses. a. Required Courses (12 to 18 units) 500-level Biochemistry Courses 6 units Chem 691. Literature Seminar 1 Chem 692. Thesis Seminar 1 Chem 696. Directed Graduate Research 3-7 Chem 698. Thesis 1-3 b. Electives (12-18 units)

These electives should be selected with the approval of the Graduate Advisor from 400- and 500-level Chemistry and Biochemistry/Biology courses and must include at least one course that has a laboratory component. A maximum of 9 units of 400-level courses may be applied toward the 30 units required for the degree.

2. Examination. Oral defense of thesis. 3. Formal approval by the Graduate Thesis Committee.

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RAVINDER ABROL (Ravinder.Abrol@csun.edu)

B.Sc. Honours, University of Delhi, India; M.Sc., Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, India; Ph.D., California Institute of Technology; Postdoctoral research, IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center, NY and California Institute of Technology. (Computational Biochemistry)

Computational Biochemistry and Biophysics Dr. Ravi Abrol’s research lab is focused on developing and using computational methods to probe how protein structure and biochemical (protein-ligand and protein-protein) interactions of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) determine cellular signaling and physiology, as well as how this knowledge can be used for the rational design of drugs targeting GPCR signaling pathways. GPCRs are integral membrane proteins that form the largest superfamily in the human genome. The activation of these receptors by a variety of bioactive molecules regulates key physiological processes (e.g., neurotransmission, cellular metabolism, secretion, cell growth, immunity, differentiation), through a balance of G protein-coupled and beta-arrestin-coupled signaling pathways. This has made them targets for ~50% drugs in the clinic. A molecular and structural understanding of these GPCR signaling pathways will have a broad impact on our understanding of cellular signaling and on drug discovery efforts targeting GPCRs. Research in the Abrol Lab lies at the interface of Chemistry and Biology, where they are using computational biophysics and structural bioinformatics based methods to gain mechanistic insights into the biochemistry of GPCR signaling. The research is following three major themes to connect the sequence, structure, and signaling of GPCRs: Theme 1: From Structure to Signaling - How do GPCRs behave as allosteric machines and exhibit biased signaling?

There are many challenges in experimental approaches to navigate the multiple conformations of GPCRs that can describe their pleiotropic function. The Abrol Lab is developing the next generation

of computational methods to describe the conformational space available to GPCRs (especially the high-energy functionally important conformations) and their effects on intracellular signaling.

Theme 2: From Sequence to Structure - How do GPCRs fold? There are several examples of disease-associated single point mutations in GPCRs, in which the mutant GPCR is not stable enough to escape the quality control of endoplasmic reticulum, but can be rescued by pharmacological chaperones to reach its final membrane destination. These partially stable receptor single-point mutants require looking at the thermodynamics of how they insert and fold in the membrane to gain a mechanistic insight into their instability. The Abrol Lab is developing methods to probe how small alpha-helical membrane proteins get inserted into the lipid bilayers by the Sec61 translocon machinery, to understand GPCR folding.

Theme 3: From Sequence to Signaling - How do GPCR sequence variations (mutations) lead to observed signaling and disease? Sequences contain a wealth of functional information, which has led to the development of many computational approaches to extract this information. The Abrol Lab is developing structural bioinformatics tools that combine evolutionary methods using closely-related paralog and ortholog sequences with their structural and functional information to understand the role of specific residues and structural motifs in the functional divergence of GPCRs. Students from Chemistry, Biochemistry, Biology, Physics, Math, and Computer Science will find highly multi-disciplinary research opportunities in the Abrol Lab, aimed at developing computational methods or applying existing/new methods to understand the molecular mechanisms behind cellular signaling. Prior experience with computer programming is not necessary; however, students should be open to learning some programming. There will also be joint research opportunities combining structural modeling of proteins with biochemical and biophysical experiments. Selected Publications:

S.-K. Kim, Y. Chen, R. Abrol, W.A. Goddard 3rd and B. Guthrie, “Activation mechanism of the G protein-coupled sweet receptor heterodimer with sweeteners and allosteric agonists”; Proc Natl Acad Sci Early Edition, doi: 10.1073/pnas.1700001114 (2017).

S.S. Dong, W.A. Goddard 3rd and R. Abrol, "Conformational and Thermodynamic Landscape of GPCR Activation From Theory and Computation"; Biophysical Journal, 110, 2618 (2016).

V. Cvicek, W.A. Goddard 3rd and R. Abrol, "Structure-Based Sequence Alignment of the Transmembrane Domains of all Human GPCRs: Phylogenetic, Structural and Functional Implications", PLoS Computational Biology, 12, e1004805 (2016).

C.E. Scott, K.H. Ahn, S.T. Graf, W.A. Goddard 3rd, D.A. Kendall and R. Abrol, "Computational Prediction and Biochemical Analyses of New Inverse Agonists for the CB1 Receptor", J Chem Inf Model, 56, 201 (2016).

R. Abrol, B. Trzaskowski, W.A. Goddard 3rd, A. Nesterov, I. Olave and C. Irons, "Ligand- and mutation-induced conformational selection in the CCR5 chemokine G protein-coupled receptor", Proc Natl Acad Sci, 111, 13040 (2014).

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MADS P. SULBAEK ANDERSEN (mpsa@csun.edu)

B.S., University of Southern Denmark, Denmark, 1999; M.S., University of Southern Denmark, Denmark, 2002; Ph.D., University of Copenhagen, Denmark, 2006; Postdoctoral research, University of California, Irvine, 2006 – 2009 and Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena CA, 2010 – 2012. (Analytical Chemistry) Dr. Sulbaek Andersen’s research uses laboratory techniques in analytical and physical chemistry to study kinetics and mechanisms of reactions important in atmospheric and environmental chemistry. The aim is to understand the chemistry involved in topics such as air pollution formation and transport, stratospheric ozone depletion, climate forcings and the dissemination of persistent organic pollutants. Central themes in his research include gas-phase peroxy radical chemistry and the environmental impact and fate of a halogenated organic compounds.

IR spectra of four select halogenated organic compounds of industrial importance (& C3H8) and their respective overlap with “the Atmospheric Window”. The natural greenhouse effect is illustrated with in the black trace. Other research foci in Dr. Sulbaek Andersen’s lab include:

• Collaborations on clean technology research projects with industry to find environmentally friendly solutions.

• Atmospheric chemistry and environmental fate of non-CO2

greenhouse gasses and their role in a feasible plan for climate stabilization.

• Photochemistry, aerosols, trace gases and environmental and human health

• Bridging physical science and environmental policy: Impacts and economics of energy policies, sustainable strategies and global change.

Students will find that the Sulbaek Andersen lab involves multi-disciplinary research, technical instrument development and joint/collaborative research opportunities. Data acquisition in an analytical/physical chemistry lab often requires a significant amount of experimental electronics and computer programming. Students will be exposed to several analytical techniques and learn a wide range of experimental skills. Prior experience with computer programming and/or analytical chemistry is not a requirement. Recent Publications (from a total of 59): M. P. Sulbaek Andersen, M. Kyte, S. T. Andersen, C. J. Nielsen, and O.

J. Nielsen, “Atmospheric chemistry of (CF3)2CF-C≡N - A replacement

compound for the most potent industrial greenhouse gas, SF6”,

Environmental Science and Technology, 51, 1321 (2017).

F. F. Østerstrøm, S. T. Andersen, T. I. Sølling, O. J. Nielsen and M. P.

Sulbaek Andersen, “Atmospheric chemistry of Z- and E-

CF3CH=CHCF3”, Physical Chemistry and Chemical Physics, 19, 735

(2017).

M. P. Sulbaek Andersen, S. Bjørn Svendsen, F. F. Østerstrøm, and O. J.

Nielsen, “Atmospheric Chemistry of CH3CH2OCH3: Kinetics and

Mechanism of Reactions with Cl Atoms and OH Radicals”,

International Journal of Chemical Kinetics, 49, 10 (2017).

C. Andersen, O. J. Nielsen, F. F. Østerstrøm, S. Ausmeel, E. J. K.

Nilsson, and M. P. Sulbaek Andersen, “Atmospheric Chemistry of

Tetrahydrofuran, 2-Methyltetrahydrofuran, and 2,5-

Dimethyltetrahydrofuran: Kinetics of Reactions with Chlorine Atoms,

OD Radicals, and Ozone”, Journal of Physical Chemistry Part A:

Molecules, Spectroscopy, Kinetics, Environment and General

Theory, 120, 7320 (2016).

F. F. Østerstrøm, T. J. Wallington, M. P. Sulbaek Andersen, and O. J.

Nielsen, “Atmospheric Chemistry of (CF3)2CHOCH3, (CF3)2CHOCHO,

and CF3C(O)OCH3”, Journal of Physical Chemistry Part A: Molecules,

Spectroscopy, Kinetics, Environment and General Theory, 119, 10540

(2015).

L. L. Andersen, F. F. Østerstrøm, M. P. Sulbaek Andersen, O. J. Nielsen,

and T. J. Wallington, “Atmospheric chemistry of cis-CF3CH=CHCl

(HCFO-1233zd(Z)): Kinetics of the gas-phase reactions with Cl atoms,

OH radicals, and O3. Chemical Physics Letters, 639, 289 (2015).

See also the Sulbaek Andersen group website: www.sulbaek.dk

5

AZIZ BOULESBAA (aboules@csun.edu)

B.Sc., Université des Sciences & de la Technologie Houari-Boumediane of Algiers, Algeria; M.Sc., Université Sorbonne Paris Cité, France; Ph.D., Emory University & Temple University, USA; Postdoctoral research, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Tennessee USA. (Physical-Chemistry/Materials) Dr Boulesbaa’s research focuses primarily on ultrafast sciences, and more specifically, nanomaterials for photovoltaic and biomedical applications. His group uses various optical techniques to investigate ultrafast phenomena that take place in nanomaterials, biomolecules and their interfaces during brief times on the order of femtosecond time-scales (one millionth of one billionth of a second). Dr Boulesbaa incorporates a 6 W Ti:Sa femtosecond laser system, and tunable optical parametric amplifiers (OPAs) from the UV to the mid infrared spectral regions to investigate ultrafast dynamics of electronic and chemical structures of nanomaterials. Nanomaterials for photovoltaic applications: Due to their strong interaction with light, nanomaterials are good platform candidates for photovoltaic devices such as solar-cells and photodetectors. The conversion efficiency of light into electricity in these devices relies on how efficiently excitons (bound electron-hole pairs) in the nanomaterial are photogenerated and then dissociated through charge transfer to an acceptor. Sometimes, the light absorbed by the nanomaterial is not fully consumed for the generation of “useful” excitons, but an important portion of energy is consumed as dissipated heat. To understand this mechanism, the Boulesbaa research group incorporates ultrafast spectroscopy to examine different nanomaterials, with a goal of overcoming this problem through designing and tailoring the chemical and physical structures of the nanomaterial. To address the inefficiency of exciton dissociation (charge transfer), based on ultrafast spectroscopy investigations, they design hybrid nanomaterials (donor-acceptor nanocomposites) with the highest possible efficiency of charge transfer process. Nanomaterials for biomedical applications: In the past, the employment of nanomaterials in the biomedical field was almost limited to drug delivery and bio labeling. In recent years however, noble metal nanoparticles, such as gold, were used for photothermal therapy in cancer treatment. This is due to their unique way of

interacting with light that distinguishes them from other materials. When the frequency of light matches that of the collective motion of electrons at the surface of a metal nanoparticle, the so-called localized surface plasmons resonance (LSPR) takes place, and consequently, the nanoparticle strongly absorbs photons with that frequency, which increases its temperature. Clinically, the tumor area is injected with gold nanoparticles, followed by shining a laser with LSPR frequency to heat the nanoparticles, which burns and destroys the cancer cells. The Boulesbaa lab uses ultrafast spectroscopy to track down the energy deposited through laser from absorption by the nanoparticle until its transfer to the biomolecule and the breaking of its chemical bonds. Recent Publications:

“Bromine Substitution Improves Excited-State Dynamics in Mesoporous Mixed Halide Perovskite Films”. E. M. Talbert, H. F. Zarick, A. Boulesbaa, N. Soetan, A. A. Puretzky, D. B. Geohegan, and R. Bardhan. Nanoscale, 9 (2017), 12005-12013. “Synthesis and Photoluminescence Properties of 2D Phenethylammonium Lead Bromide Perovskite Nanocrystals”. R. Guo, Z. Zhu, A. Boulesbaa, F. Hao, A. Puretzky, K. Xiao, J. Bao, Y. Yao, and W. Li. Small Methods, (2017), DOI: 10.1002/smtd.201700245. “Ultrafast Excited-State Dynamics in Shape- and Composition- Controlled Gold-Silver Bimetallic Nanostructures”. H. F. Zarick, A. Boulesbaa, E. M. Talbert, A. Puretzky, D. Geohegan, and R. Bardhan. J. Phys. Chem. C, 121 (2017), 4540-4547. “Ultrafast Carrier Dynamics in Bimetallic Nanostructures-Enhanced Methylammonium Lead Bromide Perovskites”. H. F. Zarick, A. Boulesbaa, A. A. Puretzky, E. M. Talbert, D. B. Geohegan, R. Bardhan. Nanoscale, 9 (2017), 1475-1483. “Ultrafast Charge Transfer and Formation of Hybrid Excitons at 2D/0D Heterostructures”. A. Boulesbaa, K. Wang, M. Mahjouri-Samani, M. Tian, A. Puretzky, I. Ivanov, C. Rouleau, K. Xiao, B. Sumpter and D. Geohegan. J. Am. Chem. Soc., 138 (2016), 14713-14719. “Capturing the Ultrafast Vibrational Decoherence of Hydrogen Bonding in Interfacial Water”. A. Boulesbaa, and E. Borguet. J. Phys. Chem. Lett., 7 (2016), 5080-5085. “Ultrafast Dynamics of Metal Plasmons Induced by 2D Semiconductor Excitons in Hybrid Nanostructure Arrays”. A. Boulesbaa, V. Babicheva, K. Wang, I. Kravchenko, M. W. Lin, M. Mahjouri-Samani, C. Jacobs, A. Puretzky, K. Xiao, I. Ivanov, C. Rouleau, and D. Geohegan. ACS Photonics, 3 (2016), 2389-2395. “In-plane Heterojunctions Enable Multiphasic 2D MoS2 Nanosheets as Efficient Photocatalysts for Hydrogen Evolution from Water Reduction”. R. Peng, L. Liang, Z. Hood, A. Boulesbaa, A. Puretzky, A. Ievlev, J. Come, O. Ovchinnikova, C. Ma, M. Chi, B. Sumpter, Z.Wu. ACS Catal., 6 (2016), 6723–6729. “Tailoring Vacancies Far Beyond Intrinsic Levels Changes the Carrier Type in Monolayer MoSe2-x Crystals”. M. Mahjouri-Samani, L. Liang,A. Oyedele, M. Tian, N. Cross, M. W. Lin, A. Boulesbaa,C. M. Rouleau, A. Puretzky, K. Xiao, G. Eres, G. Duscher, B. G. Sumpter, and D. B. Geohegan. Nano Letters, 16 (2016), 5213-5220. Boulesbaa group website: sites.google.com/view/Boulesbaa

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JEFFREY A. CHARONNAT (Jeff.Charonnat@csun.edu)

B. S., Honors, Stanford University, 1977; Ph.D., Columbia University, 1984. (Synthetic Organic Chemistry) Professor Charonnat's research interests are: 1) the total synthesis of natural products, and 2) the development of new synthetic methodology. The first project is a highly stereo- and regio-controlled total synthesis of the GABA antagonist, (-)-anisatin (shown below). This functionally complex sesquiterpene is one of very few naturally occurring beta-lactones. The second category includes studies on mild, selective Conia cyclizations, and conjugate additions to enol tosylates of alpha-dicarbonyl compounds.

(-)-Anisatin

Selected Publications: J. A. Charonnat, N. Nishimura, B.W. Travers and J. R. Waas, "Novel Application of the Intramolecular Prins Reaction: (–)-Anisatin Model Study", Synlett., 1162 (1996). J. A. Charonnat, A. L. Mitchell and B. P. Keogh, "Conjugate Addition of Lithium Diorganocuprate Reagents to the Enol Tosylate of a 1,2-Diketone", Tetrahedron Letters, 31, 315–318 (1990). M. S. Thesis: N. Nishimura “Studies Directed Toward the Total Synthesis of the GABA Antagonist, (–)-Anisatin” (1996).

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SUSAN T. COLLINS (Susan.Collins@csun.edu)

B.A. Rhode Island College, 1977; Ph.D. Florida State University, 1981; Postdoctoral Research, Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory and the Max-Planck-Institut, Germany. (Physical Chemistry) Professor Collins' main research interests are in the area of low temperature (10 K) photochemistry and spectroscopy. The technique of matrix-isolation is currently being used to stabilize unstable photochemical reaction intermediates and study them with Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy. The ultimate goal is to be able to study photoreactions at 10 K and to correlate IR structural studies with luminescence studies related to the excited state reaction potential energy hypersurface.

Selected Publications: J. M. Petroski, C. D. S. Valente, E. P. Kelson and S. Collins, " FTIR Spectroscopy of Flavonols in Argon and Methanol/Argon Matrixes at 10 K. Reexamination of the Carbonyl Stretch Frequency of 3-Hydroxyflavone", Journal of Physical Chemistry A, 106, 11714 (2002). J. Brownfield and S. Collins, "The Luminescence Spectra of the 8-Methoxypsoralen Excited-State Complexes and Photochemical Product in Argon, Methanol/Argon and Water/Argon Matrices at 10 K", Journal of Physical Chemistry, 104, 3759 (2000). A. Bohra, A. Lavin and S. Collins, "Ground-State Triple Proton Transfer in 7-Hydroxyquinoline, 4. Observation in Room Temperature Methanol and Aqueous Solutions", Journal of Physical Chemistry, 98, 11424 (1994). A. Lavin and S. Collins, "Matrix-Isolation Studies of 7-Hydroxyquinoline, 3. Deuterium-Isotope and Xenon Matrix Effects", Journal of Physical Chemistry, 97, 13615 (1993). A. Lavin and S. Collins, "The Ground State Stabilization of the Keto Tautomer of the 7-Hydroxyquinoline Dimer in Argon Matrices at 10 K", Chemical Physics Letters, 207, 513 (1993). A. Lavin and S. Collins, "The Ground State Stabilization of the Keto Tautomer of the 7-Hydroxyquinoline in Methanol/Argon Matrices at 10 K", Chemical Physics Letters, 204, 96 (1993). P. T. Chou, M. Martinez, W. Cooper, D. McMorrow, S. Collins and M. Kasha, "Monohydrate Catalysis of Excited-State Double-Proton

Transfer in 7-Azaindole", Journal of Physical Chemistry, 96, 5203 (1992). J. Alix and S. Collins, "The Photochemistry of RDX in Solid Argon at 10 K", Canadian Journal of Chemistry, 69, 1535 (1991). S. Collins, "The Photochemistry of 2-Butyne in Solid Xenon at 10 K", Journal of Physical Chemistry, 94, 5240 (1990).

W. Moran, G. Johnson and S. Collins, "The Photochemistry of (3-2-

CH3CH2CCCH2CH3)(-CO)-Os3(CO)9 and (3-3-CH3CH2C=C=C(H)CH3)-

(-H))Os3(CO)9 in Rare Gas Matrices at 10 K", J. Molecular Structure, 222, 235 (1990).

M. S. Theses: J. Petroski “Matrix Isolation Spectroscopy of 5-Hydroxyflavone” (1996); A. Lavin “Matrix-Isolation Spectroscopy of 7-Hydroxyquinoline” (1993); W. Moran “Matrix Isolation Spectroscopy of Triosmium Clusters” (1990); W. J. Lauderdale “The Potential Energy Curves of Argon Sulfide” (1989).

FTIR spectra of argon matrix-isolated flavone, 5-hydroxyflavone (5HF), and 3-hydroxyflavone (3HF) at 10 K, depicting the carbonyl

stretch region.

8

KARIN A. CROWHURST (Karin.Crowhurst@csun.edu)

B.Sc (Honours), Queen’s University, Canada, 1995; M.Sc., University of Toronto, Canada, 1997; Ph.D., University of Toronto, Canada, 2003; Postdoctoral research, California Institute of Technology, 2003 – 2006. (Biochemistry and Structural Biology) Dr. Crowhurst’s research uses NMR spectroscopy to study the roles of structure, biophysical properties and protein dynamics on the specificity of protein-protein interactions and the activities of dis-ordered proteins. The lab is currently pursuing two major projects:

1. The role of internal motions in the specificity and affinity of RGS proteins for their Gα signaling partners. Members of the RGS protein family are responsible for deactivating G protein signaling. Ultimately, RGS proteins control the relay of signals that are triggered by light, smell, hormones or neurotransmitters. The lab’s primary goal is to better understand how RGS proteins are selective for particular Gα targets, despite having very similar binding sites, and how this influences signal transmission. Since these proteins are critical for the initiation or regulation of signaling cascades, answers to these questions may lead to improved understanding of the mechanisms that cause conditions such as cancer, schizophrenia and neurodegenerative diseases, and can aid in drug design.

15N-HSQC NMR spectrum and structure of human RGS7

2. In vitro and in-cell investigation of the acid-stress chaperone HdeA. The stomach is an important barricade that helps to kill many bacteria before they can cause illness, in part by using its acidity to inactivate bacterial proteins. Some bacteria contain a small chaperone protein called HdeA that helps protect other proteins from becoming permanently inactivated and therefore helps bacteria survive and cause infection. Biophysical studies have provided clues that HdeA unfolds below pH 3.0 and interacts with its binding partners via hydrophobic interactions. However, there is a lack of data that monitors, in detail, the mechanism of unfolding and activation,

both in vitro and in cells. Insight we gain may aid future development of vaccines or therapeutics that combat dysentery.

The protein NMR spectroscopic techniques used to address these biological questions are sophisticated and provide significantly more information than can be obtained from standard one-dimensional 1H or 13C spectra. Students joining the lab will have the opportunity to expand their understanding of the mechanism and biophysical properties of proteins at a detailed, molecular level. In addition, they can gain experience in expressing and purifying isotopically labeled proteins, in running multidimensional NMR experiments, and in using specialized computer software to analyze the collected data and obtain information about protein structure and motions. Recent Publications:

K.A. Crowhurst, J.V.C. Horn and P.M.M. Weers, “Backbone and side chain chemical shift assignments of apolipophorin III from Galleria mellonella", Biomol. NMR Assign., 10, 143 (2016).

M.A. Garrison and K.A. Crowhurst, “NMR-monitored titration of acid-stress bacterial chaperone HdeA reveals that Asp and Glu charge neutralization produces a loosened dimer structure in preparation for protein unfolding and chaperone activation” Prot. Sci., 23, 167 (2014).

K.A. Crowhurst, “13C, 15N and 1H backbone and side chain chemical shift assignment of acid-stress bacterial chaperone HdeA at pH 6”,

Biomol. NMR Assign., 8, 319 (2014).

J. Maly and K.A. Crowhurst, “Expression, purification and preliminary NMR characterization of isotopically labeled wild-type human

heterotrimeric G protein αi1”, Prot. Expr. Purif., 84, 255 (2012).

K.A. Crowhurst and S.L. Mayo, “NMR-detected conformational exchange observed in a computationally designed variant of protein Gβ1”, Prot. Eng. Des. Sel., 21, 577 (2008).

P.S. Shah, G.K. Hom, S.A. Ross, J.K. Lassila, K.A. Crowhurst and S.L. Mayo, “Full-sequence computational design and solution structure of a thermostable protein variant”, J. Mol. Biol., 372, 1 (2007).

K.A. Crowhurst and J.D. Forman-Kay, “Aromatic and methyl NOEs point to hydrophobic clustering in the unfolded state of an SH3

domain”, Biochemistry-US, 42, 8687 (2003).

M. S. Theses:

A. Surinarintr “Investigation of internal motions in TrkB-d5 provides insight into molecular recognition and allostery” (2017); S. Brooks “Using NMR Spectroscopy to Probe the Role of Protein Dynamics in Interactions Between G Protein Alpha Subunit i1 and Its Regulator RGS4” (2016); J. Maly “The integral role of the SUMO fusion protein system in successful expression and purification of two difficult proteins for NMR studies” (2013); K. Kim “Expression and purification trials of human brain-derived neurotrophic factor (hBDNF) and its cognate receptor, tropomyosin-related kinase B (hTrkB), to characterize their conformational dynamics by NMR spectroscopy” (2013); W.H. Kim “Intermediate timescale exchange in apo TrkB receptor provides insight into the role of molecular motions in its binding selectivity for neurotrophin signaling proteins” (2012); N. Battala "Development of a protocol to prepare isotopically labeled human neurotrophin-4 (hNT-4) and preliminary characterization of the protein by NMR spectroscopy" (2011); T. Vartanian "Development of a protocol to express and purify isotopically labeled human Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor for NMR analysis" (2009).

See also the Crowhurst group website: www.crowhurstlab.com

9

JUSSI M. ELORANTA (Jussi.Eloranta@csun.edu)

M.S. University of Jyväskylä, Finland, 1993; Ph.D. University of Jyväskylä, Finland, 1997; Postdoctoral research, University of California at Irvine. (Physical Chemistry) Dr. Eloranta’s research uses laser spectroscopic techniques to study dynamics of superfluid helium (e.g. liquid flow and viscosity) on molecular scales by using atoms and molecules as probes. The main aim of the research is to understand how chemical reactions proceed at low temperatures where solvent layers, vortices or external electric fields dictate the atomic and molecular approaches. This has applications in preparing novel molecular structures, synthesizing high-energy materials and fuels, and controlling chemical reactions (“field guided molecular synthesis”). Dr. Eloranta’s other fields of research include: Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) spectroscopy of organic radicals, decomposition reactions of peroxides in aqueous solutions and studies of reaction intermediates using the matrix isolation technique. For more information, see the group web page:

http://www.csun.edu/~jeloranta

Liquid density flow around atomic boron in superfluid 4He after

optical 2P → 2S excitation. Notice the initial localization of the liquid density around the “neck” of the boron p-orbital. The continuous background resembles liquid density and the arrows indicate the probability current at t = 100 fs.

Selected Publications:

X. Buelna, A Freund, D. Gonzalez, E. Popov and J. Eloranta, “Ejection of Metal Particles into Superfluid 4He by Laser Ablation”, Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 120, 11010 (2016).

V. Fernandez, A. Garcia, K. Vossoughian, E. Popov, S. Garrett and J. Eloranta, “Laser-Assisted Detection of Metal Nanoparticles in Liquid He-II”, Journal of Physical Chemistry A, 119, 10882 (2015).

E. Popov and J. Eloranta, “Copper dimer interactions on a thermomechanical superfluid 4He fountain”, Journal of Chemical Physics, 142, 204704 (2015).

D. Mateo, J. Eloranta and G.A. Williams, “Interaction of ions, atoms, and small molecules with quantized vortex lines in superfluid 4He”, Journal of Chemical Physics, 174, 269 (2014).

D. Mateo, F. Gonzalez and J. Eloranta, “Rotational Superfluidity in Small Helium Droplets”, Journal of Physical Chemistry A, 119, 2262 (2015).

D. Mateo and J. Eloranta, “Solvation of Intrinsic Positive Charge in Superfluid Helium”, Journal of Physical Chemistry A, 118, 6407 (2014).

S.L. Fiedler, J. Eloranta, “Interaction of helium Rydberg state atoms with superfluid helium”, Journal of Low Temperature Physics, 174, 269 (2014).

E. Popov, M. Mammetkuliyev, J. Eloranta, “Dynamics of vortex assisted metal condensation in superfluid helium”, Journal of Chemical Physics, 138, 204307 (2013).

N. Bonifaci, F. Aitken, V.M. Atrazhev, S.L. Fiedler, and J. Eloranta, “Experimental and theoretical characterization of the long-range interaction between He*(3s) and He(1s)”, Physical Review A, 85, 042706 (2012).

E. Vehmanen, V. Ghazarian, C. Sams, I. Khatchatryan, J. Eloranta and V.A. Apkarian, “Injection of atoms and molecules in a superfluid helium fountain: Cu and Cu2Hen (n = 1...∞)”, Journal of Physical Chemistry A, 115, 7077 (2011).

J. Eloranta, “Theoretical study of quantum gel formation in superfluid 4He”, Journal of Low Temperature Physics, 162, 718 (2011).

J. Eloranta, “Solvation of atomic fluorine in bulk superfluid 4He”, Low Temperature Physics, 37, 384 (2011)

E. Popov, M. Mametkuliyev, D. Santoro, L. Liberti and J. Eloranta, “Kinetics of UV-H2O2 advanced oxidation in the presence of alcohols: The role of carbon centered radicals”, Environmental Science and Technology, 44, 7827 (2010).

S.L. Fiedler and J. Eloranta, “Nonadiabatic dynamics by the mean-field and surface-hopping approaches: energy conservation considerations”, Molecular Physics, 108, 1471 (2010).

T. Kiljunen, E. Popov, H. Kunttu, and J. Eloranta, “Rotation of methyl radicals in molecular solids”, Journal of Physical Chemistry A, 114, 4770 (2010). M. S. Theses: P. Bannazadeh Mahani “Photolysis of peracetic acid using UV Light” (2015); M. Mammetkuliyev “Determination of Viscosity of Liquid Helium-4 Using Vibrating Wire as a Viscometer” (2013).

10

PAULA L. FISCHHABER (Paula.Fischhaber@csun.edu)

B.A., University of Colorado at Boulder, 1992; Ph.D., University of Washington, Seattle, 1998; Postdoctoral research, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas; Research Faculty, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. (Biochemistry)

Dr. Fischhaber’s group is investigating the protein biochemistry of DNA repair in S. cerevisiae (baker’s yeast). In human beings, failure to repair covalent modifications to DNA (DNA damage) by the biologic repair pathways results in genetic mutations and cancer, particularly skin cancer. DNA damage is ubiquitous in living cells and much of it is unavoidable, so DNA repair pathways are crucial for survival. A variety of in vitro biochemical techniques as well as fluorescence microscopy are used in the Fischhaber lab to establish the temporal and spatial relationships among key proteins participating early in DNA repair. Early protein participants likely govern the cellular “decision” about which repair modes to activate and to what extent. One area of current focus is the yeast Rad1/Rad10 protein complex, which is required in several distinct DNA repair pathways as well as DNA recombination. The lab has labeled the Rad10 protein factor with green fluorescent protein so that Rad10 can be monitored with the aid of a fluorescence microscope in real time in live yeast cells undergoing DNA repair. Using this exciting technology the Fischhaber lab has established that Rad10 is recruited directly to the sites of DNA double strand breaks and that recruitment is dependent on another repair factor, Rad52. The ultimate goal is to understand precisely how cells shunt themselves toward the most appropriate DNA repair pathway to avoid burdensome levels of mutations that would otherwise give rise to cancer. Selected Publications:

M. Mardirosian, L. Nalbandyan, A.D. Miller, C. Phan, E.P. Kelson, P.L. Fischhaber. “Saw1 localizes to repair sites but is not required for recruitment of Rad10 to repair intermediates bearing short non-homologous 3' flaps during single-strand annealing in S. cerevisiae”, Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, 412, 131 (2016).

F. Wang, P.L. Fischhaber, C. Guo, T.-S. Tang. “Epigenetic modifications as novel therapeutic targets for Huntington's disease”, Epigenomics, 6, 287 (2014).

G. Diamante, C. Phan, A.S. Celis, J. Krueger, E.P. Kelson, P.L. Fischhaber. “SAW1 is required for SDSA double-strand break repair in

S. cerevisiae”, Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 445, 602 (2014).

J. Karlin, P.L. Fischhaber. “Rad51 ATP binding but not hydrolysis is required to recruit Rad10 in synthesis-dependent strand annealing sites in S. cerevisiae”, Advances in Biological Chemistry, 3, 295 (2013).

A. Mardiros, J.M. Benoun, R. Haughton, K. Baxter, E.P. Kelson and P.L. Fischhaber. "Rad10-YFP Focus Induction in Response to UV Depends on RAD14 in Yeast," Acta Histochemica, 113, 409 (2011).

D.M. Moore, J. Karlin, S. González-Barrera, A. Mardiros, M. Lisby, A. Doughty, J. Gilley, R. Rothstein, E.C. Friedberg and P.L. Fischhaber. "Rad10 exhibits lesion-dependent genetic requirements for recruitment to DNA double-strand breaks in Saccharomyces cerevisiae," Nucleic Acids Research, 37, 6429 (2009).

P. L. Fischhaber, L. D. McDaniel and E. C. Friedberg, “DNA polymerases for translesion DNA synthesis: enzyme purification and mouse models for studying their function”, Methods in Enzymology, 408, 355 (2006).

P. L. Fischhaber and E. C. Friedberg, "How are specialized (low-fidelity) eukaryotic polymerases selected and switched with high-fidelity polymerases during translesion DNA synthesis?", DNA Repair (Amst). 4, 279 (2005).

E. C. Friedberg and P. L. Fischhaber, "DNA repair in yeast", Encyclopedia of Molecular Cell Biology and Molecular Medicine 2nd Ed. (Editor R. A. Meyers) 3, 427 (2004).

C. Guo, P. L. Fischhaber, M. Luk-Paszyc, Y. Masuda, J. Zhou, K. Kamiya, C. Kisker and E. C. Friedberg, "Mouse Rev1 protein interacts with multiple DNA polymerases involved in translesion DNA synthesis", EMBO Journal, 22, 6621 (2003).

E. C. Friedberg and P. L. Fischhaber, "TB or not TB: How Mycobacterium tuberculosis may evade drug treatment", Cell, 113, 139 (2003).

E. C. Friedberg and P. L. Fischhaber, "DNA replication fidelity", Nature Encyclopedia of the Human Genome 2, 167 (2003).

P. L. Fischhaber, V. L. Gerlach, W. J. Feaver, Z. Hatahet, S. S. Wallace and E. C. Friedberg, "Human polymerase kappa bypasses and extends beyond thymine glycols during translesion synthesis in vitro, preferentially incorporating correct nucleotides", Journal of Biological Chemistry, 277, 37604 (2002). M. S. Theses: A. Miller “Role of DNA polymerases delta and epsilon in exonucleolytic processing of non-homologous DNA overhangs during single-strand annealing repair in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.” (2017); L. Nalbandyan “Role of Saw1 and Msh2 in Single Strand Annealing in Saccharomyces cerevisiae” (2016); J. Benoun “Alternative roles for Rad7 in NER and Rad51 in SSA” (2013); D. Moore “Recruitment of the Rad1-Rad10 Protein Complex to sites of DNA Double Strand Break Repair and Nucleotide Excision Repair in Saccharomyces cerevisiae: Examination of Rad52, Rad51 and Mre11 in DNA Double Strand Break Repair and Rad1 genetic mutations in DNA Nucleotide Excision Repair by Fluorescence Microscopy” (2011); J. Karlin “Rad51 Strand Exchange Activity Mediates Rad1-Rad10 Recruitment to Synthesis-Dependent Strand Annealing Sites” (2010); A. Mardiros “The Temporal Relationship of Nucleotide Excision Repair Factors Rad14 and Rad1-Rad10” (2009).

11

SIMON J. GARRETT (Simon.Garrett@csun.edu)

B.Sc., University of Sussex (UK) 1986; Ph.D., Imperial College of Science and Technology (UK) 1991; Postdoctoral research, Northwestern University 1991-1993; Postdoctoral research, University of Toronto 1993-1996; Faculty, Michigan State University 1996-2003; Faculty, California State University, Channel Islands 2004-2008. (Analytical, Materials and Physical Chemistry)

Dr. Garrett’s general research area is in the field of experimental surface science, a cross-disciplinary area encompassing aspects of analytical and physical chemistry, materials science and physics. Surface science is concerned with the interactions between solid surfaces and adsorbed molecules and the reactions that may occur as a result of these interactions. Of particular interest to Dr. Garrett are reactions occurring on water-ice surfaces, because of their importance in the environment and in astrochemistry, and nanoparticle materials with unique optical, chemical or physical properties. Icy cloud surfaces are known to play a role in the chemistry of Earth’s atmosphere by catalyzing chlorofluorocarbon reactions that ultimately lead to the destruction of ozone. Ice may also participate in the chemistry of other planets known to contain water, such as Mars and some of the moons of Jupiter, and in the formation of complex molecules found in comets. Comets are largely composed of ice but also contain small and large organic molecules. The origin of the larger molecules is unclear but at least one theory speculates that they formed as a result of small molecule chemistry initiated by protons, electrons or photons. To confirm this hypothesis, Dr. Garrett performs experiments with small molecules such as HCN, H2S and H2CO (formaldehyde) that have been positively identified in comets. These molecules are adsorbed on thin ice layers in vacuum at temperatures down to 85 K (-188 °C) then irradiated with photons and/or electrons. The products are detected by mass spectrometry. A second research area revolves around the synthesis and characterization of nanoparticles, materials with at least one dimension in the 1-100 nm range. Dr. Garrett is particularly interested in materials with desirable photocatalytic or unusual magnetic properties. For example, TiO2 surfaces are known to

photocleave water according to 2 H2O(l) → 2 H2(g) + O2(g). However, the process is very inefficient. Using nanoparticles is one possible route to improving efficiency and producing hydrogen cheaply using solar radiation and in large quantities. Hydrogen is ideal for powering the next generation of electric vehicle fuel cells. The synthetic

technique used to make the nanoparticles involves evaporating the material of interest through a ‘mask’ layer then removing the mask. Using self-assembly to make the mask is particularly attractive and is exploited in Dr. Garrett’s laboratory. The particles and masks are examined by microscopy, particularly atomic force microscopy. Students in Dr. Garrett’s laboratory learn a wide range of skills and analytical techniques using sophisticated instrumentation in a cross-disciplinary environment. This makes them particularly attractive to recruiters in industry, academia and education. Selected Publications:

V. Fernandez, A. Garcia, K. Vossoughian, E. Popov, S. Garrett and J. Eloranta, “Laser-Assisted Detection of Metal Nanoparticles in Liquid He-II”, Journal of Physical Chemistry A, 119, 10882 (2015).

M. Chan, A. Capek, D.A. Brill and S.J. Garrett, “Characterization of the patina formed on a low tin bronze exposed to aqueous hydrogen sulfide”, Surface and Interface Analysis, 46, 433 (2014).

N. Baca, R.D. Conner and S.J. Garrett, “Corrosion behavior of oxide-covered Cu47Ti34Zr11Ni8 (Vitreloy 101) in chloride-containing solutions”, Materials Science & Engineering B, 184, 105 (2014).

N. Baca, T.-T. Ngo, R.D. Conner and S.J. Garrett, “Small scale resistance spot welding of Cu47Ti34Zr11Ni8 (Vitreloy 101) bulk metallic glass”, Journal of Materials Processing Technology, 213, 2042 (2013).

L.Y. Watanabe, S.N. Roberts, N. Baca, A. Wiest, S.J. Garrett and R.D. Conner, “Fatigue and corrosion of a Pd-based bulk metallic glass in various environments”, Materials Science and Engineering, 33, 4021 (2013).

Z. Hussain, S.J. Garrett and S.O. Stephen, “The instability of the boundary layer over a disk rotating in an enforced axial flow”, Physics of Fluids, 23, 114108/1 (2011).

H.A. Bullen, M.J. Dorko, J.K. Oman and S.J. Garrett, “Valence and core-level binding energy shifts in realgar (As4S4) and pararealgar (As4S4) arsenic sulfides”, Surface Science, 531, 319 (2003).

H.A. Bullen and S.J. Garrett, “Preparation and Photocatalytic Investigation of Continuous and Discontinuous TiO2 Thin Films”, in Interfacial Applications in Environmental Engineering, M.A. Keane (Ed.), Marcel Dekker, New York, 2002.

H.A. Bullen and S.J. Garrett, “Epitaxial Growth of CrO2 Thin Films on TiO2(110) Surfaces”, Chemistry of Materials, 14, 243 (2002).

H.A. Bullen and S.J. Garrett, “TiO2 Nanoparticle Arrays Prepared Using a Nanosphere Lithography Technique”, Nano Letters, 2, 739 (2002).

J.K. Oman, S.J. Garrett. “Adsorption and Laser-induced Thermal Desorption of 1,3-butadiene on HOPG(0001)”, Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 106, 10417 (2002).

M. S. Theses:

M. Chan “The patination of historic bronze by H2S and the effects of thiourea on silver” (2016); A. Mantanona “The use of Ru nanoparticles on support structures for the production of composite polymers via olefin metathesis” (2016); K. Vossoughian “The development and catalytic testing of TiO2 and TiO2-Fe2O3 nanoparticles using thermal evaporation” (2016); Y. Zhang “Corrosion Resistance of Pd43Cu27Ni10P20 Bulk Metallic Glass” (2015); N. Baca “Weldability and corrosion resistance of OF Cu47Ti34Zr11Ni8 metallic glass” (2012).

12

BRENTON A.G. HAMMER (Brenton.Hammer@csun.edu)

B.S., Colorado School of Mines, 2007; M.Sc., University of Massachusetts, Amherst, 2008; Ph.D., University of Massachusetts, Amherst, 2013; Postdoctoral research, Max-Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Mainz, Germany, 2013-2016. (Synthetic polymer chemistry) Dr. Hammer’s research focuses on using synthetic chemistry to produce novel polymeric materials for real world applications involving gas filtration/sensing, water purification, renewable energy, and robust polymer composites. Currently, the lab is investigating two primary fields: 1) Synthesis and assembly of molecularly defined graphene materials Graphene-based materials have garnered a tremendous amount of attention due to their remarkable optical, electronic, and mechanical properties. However, to date most research has utilized graphene that is undefined in terms of its functionality and dimensions, where defects in the structure can significantly diminish the properties of the materials. Thus, this research focuses on the synthesis of well-defined graphene-derivatives to control their molecular uniformity, dimensions, and heteroatom functionalization. These macromolecules are being studied as a) porous membranes for gas sensing and filtration and b) as additives to improve the thermal and mechanical properties of polymer composites. 2) Surface-bound polymers for stimuli-responsive membranes Polymers covalently attached to substrates have been widely used to manipulate the surface properties. Yet controlling the surface density of polymer chains in films and their hydrophilicity are two challenging fields that still attract significant interest from the scientific community. This project is looking at the synthesis of hyperbranched, phosphoryl choline-based polymers tethered to silicon substrates in an effort to control a) the wettability and stimuli-responsive nature of the surface and b) tailor the surface density of the polymer in comparison to linear analogues. These surface-bound polymer films are being studied in lithographic and water filtration applications. Students joining the lab will gain experience in an array of chemistry disciplines such as the synthesis and purification of small molecules, different polymerization and postpolymerization functionalization techniques, as well as with a variety of characterization methods such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and Infrared (IR) spectroscopies, size-exclusion chromatography (SEC), mass spectrometry, gas chromatography, and atomic force microscopy (AFM).

Selected publications: B.A.G. Hammer and K. Müllen, “Dimensional Evolution of Polyphenylenes: Expanding in All Directions”, Chem. Rev., 116, 2103 (2015). B.A.G. Hammer, R. Moritz, R. Stangenberg, M. Baumgarten and K. Müllen, “The Polar Side of Polyphenylene Dendrimers”, Chem. Soc. Rev., 44, 4072 (2015). B.A.G. Hammer, M.A. Reyes-Martinez, F.A. Bokel, F. Liu, T.P. Russell, R. C. Hayward, A.L. Briseno and T. Emrick, “Robust Polythiophene Nanowires Cross-linked with Functional Fullerenes”, Journal of Materials Chemistry C, 2, 9674 (2014). B.A.G. Hammer, M.A. Reyes-Martinez, F.A. Bokel, F. Liu, T.P. Russell, R. C. Hayward, A.L. Briseno and T. Emrick, “Reversible, Self Cross-Linking Nanowires from Thiol-Functionalized Polythiophene Diblock Copolymers”, ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 6, 7705 (2014). B.A.G. Hammer, M. Baumgarten and K. Müllen, “Covalent Attachment and Release of Small Molecules from Functional Polyphenylene Dendrimers”, Chem. Commun., 50, 2034 (2014). M. Baghgar, A.M. Barnes, E. Pentzer, A.J. Wise, B.A.G. Hammer, T. Emrick, A.D. Dinsmore and M.D. Barnes, “Morphology-Dependent Electronic Properties in Cross-Linked (P3HT-b-P3MT) Block Copolymer Nanostructures”, ACS Nano, 8, 8344 (2014). B.A.G. Hammer, F.A. Bokel, R.C. Hayward and T. Emrick, “Cross-Linked Conjugated Polymer Fibrils: Robust Nanowires from Functional Polythiophene Diblock Copolymers”, Chem. Mater., 23, 4250 (2011). E. Lee, B.A.G. Hammer, J.-K. Kim, Z. Page, T. Emrick and R.C. Hayward, “Hierarchical Helical Assembly of Conjugated Poly(3-hexylthiophene)-block-poly(3-triethylene glycol thiophene) Diblock Copolymers”, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 133, 10390 (2011). M.D. Rowe, B.A.G. Hammer and S.G. Boyes, “Synthesis of Surface-Initiated Stimuli-Responsive Diblock Copolymer Brushes Utilizing a Combination of ATRP and RAFT Polymerization Techniques”, Macromolecules, 41, 4147 (2008).

13

ERIC P. KELSON (Eric.Kelson@csun.edu)

B.S., Honors, University of Utah, 1988; Ph.D., California Institute of Technology, 1993; Postdoctoral research, Princeton University, 1993 – 1995. (Transition metal complexes, homogeneous catalysis, organometallics, electrocatalysis) Overview. The Kelson group is developing and applying transition metal catalysts for the support of very difficult and/or pharmaceutically important reactions. The specific projects below push the envelope of traditional catalysis. Dimeric catalysts for pharmaceutically important applications. The Kelson lab is investigating dimeric complexes where two metals (often of different oxidation states) cooperate to assist reactions in ways that traditional single-metal catalysts cannot. In particular, their polypyridine based ruthenium dimers catalyze the pharmaceutically important transfer hydrogenation of ketones. They are now investigating electronic cooperation within our dimers and exploring strategies for customized selectivity.

Rapid synthesis of customized polypyridines for catalysts and anti-tumor agents. Dr Kelson’s group has developed simple means of coupling pyridines into complex and customized polypyridines that can support catalysts (as described above) and/or bind DNA as anti-tumor agents. Since some tumor cell lines actively import terpyridines and their complexes, the Kelson lab believes their polypyridines (and their complexes) can target and kill tumors. This is under active investigation.

Nano-crystalline metal catalysts. The Kelson group has developed reliable methods for preparing nanocrystals and nanowires of silver that feature specific crystal faces and capture light to drive reactions. They also have found that silver nanoparticles are convenient templates for other reactive metals that broaden the application of these nanoparticles to more reactions. Opportunities for students. Research in the Kelson lab utilizes a wide range of synthetic and analytical techniques in the preparation of new catalysts, characterization of their activity, and investigation of their mechanistic details. Students will acquire industrially relevant experience in cutting-edge organic and inorganic chemistry that can be a steppingstone toward a medical or graduate career. Selected Publications:

M. Mardirosian, L. Nalbandyan, A.D. Miller, C. Phan, E.P. Kelson, P.L. Fischhaber. “Saw1 localizes to repair sites but is not required for recruitment of Rad10 to repair intermediates bearing short non-homologous 3' flaps during single-strand annealing in S. cerevisiae”, Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, 412, 131 (2016).

G. Diamante, C. Phan, A.S. Celis, J. Krueger, E.P. Kelson, P.L. Fischhaber. “SAW1 is required for SDSA double-strand break repair in S. cerevisiae”, Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communication, 445, 602 (2014).

B. Avitia, E Macintosh, S Muhia, E Kelson, "Single-flask preparation of polyazatriaryl ligands by sequential borylation/Suzuki-Miyaura coupling," Tetrahedron Letters, 52, 1631 (2011).

A. Mardiros, J.M. Benoun, R. Haughton, K. Baxter, E.P. Kelson and P.L. Fischhaber. "Rad10-YFP Focus Induction in Response to UV Depends on RAD14 in Yeast," Acta Histochemica, 113, 409 (2011).

E.P. Kelson, N.S. Dean and E. Algarin, "Bis(3-methoxy-2-pyridonato)aqua(2,2':6',2"-terpyridine)ruthenium(II), Hydrate, Acetonitrile (1/1/1)," Acta Crystalographica C, C63, m108 (2007).

J.M. Petroski, C.D.S. Valente, E.P. Kelson and S. Collins, "FTIR Spectroscopy of Flavonols in Argon and Methanol/argon Matrixes at 10 K. Reexamination of the Carbonyl Stretch Frequency of 3-Hydroxyflavone", Journal of Physical Chemistry, 106, 11714 (2002).

M.S. Theses:

D. Tran “Investigation of Mixed-Valent Ruthenium Dimers as Inner Sphere Ketone Transfer Hydrogenation Catalysts” (2013); B. Avitia "Dimer Intermediates in Polypyridine Supported Transfer Hydrogenation Catalysis and Custom Ligand Synthesis" (2010); S. Muhia "Ligand Synthesis for Structure Versus Activity Correlations in Polypyridine Supported Transfer Hydrogenation Catalysts" (2010); E. Algarin "Influence of Intramolecular Ligand Interactions on the Redox and Transfer Hydrogenation Chemistry of Ruthenium Polypyridyl Complexes" (2006); M. Behroozi "Development and Investigation of Ru and Rh Dechlorination Catalysts" (2005); R. Binderwalla "Catalytic Dehydrogenation of Alcohols Using Rh Complexes" (2004); R. M. Lazik "Hydrogen Transfer Catalysts by a Polypyridine Ruthenium Complex Incorporating 7-Azaindolato Ligands" (2004); M. Zhu "Electrochemistry of Polypyridine Ruthenium Complexes Bearing 2-Pyridonato, 2-Pyrrolidinonato, and 7-Azaindole Ligands" (2003); M. A. Heine "Development and Mechanistic Investigation of Homogeneous Ruthenium and Rhodium Catalysts for the Transfer Hydrogenation of Ketones" (2002); P. P. Phengsy "Ruthenium Based Catalysts for Base Assisted Alcohol Oxidation Reactions” (2001).

14

JHEEM D. MEDH (Jheem.Medh@csun.edu)

B.S. University of Bombay, 1982 (Chemistry, Biochemistry); M.S. University of Bombay, 1984; Ph.D. University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, 1990; Postdoctoral research, University of California at San Diego, 1991 – 1993. (Biochemistry) Dr. Medh’s overall research interest is to understand regulation of fuel metabolism and its relationship to metabolic disorders such as atherosclerosis and diabetes. The group studies various components of metabolic homeostasis pathways with an emphasis on understanding cellular events that lead to cholesterol accumulation and/or insulin resistance. Current studies employ cultured cells including THP-1 macrophages and L6 skeletal muscle cells. The two main projects in the Medh lab are briefly described below. 1. Lipoprotein lipase expression in macrophages is atherogenic

and its down-regulation increases cholesterol efflux from macrophages by increasing ABCA1 expression. In this long-term research project the Medh lab had previously generated transgenic mice with macrophage-specific over-expression of human lipoprotein lipase and demonstrated that male huLPL+/+ mice developed larger atherogenic lesions compared to huLPL-/- mice. A recent corollary of this project at the cellular level demonstrated that silencing the LPL gene in THP-1 macrophages increased the expression of the cholesterol transporter ABCA1 and improved cholesterol efflux from the cells. These two studies directly correlate LPL expression with cholesterol accumulation in macrophages and suggest a role for ABCA1 in the effect of LPL. The current project objectives are to provide further mechanistic insight into the molecular events that lead from LPL down-regulation to increased cholesterol efflux.

2. Silencing the lipoprotein lipase gene in skeletal muscle cells

increases their insulin sensitivity: This project, funded by an NIH SC3 award demonstrated a direct relationship between the level of lipoprotein lipase expression and insulin resistance in muscle

cells. RNA interference technology was used to generate LPL-knock-down skeletal muscle cells. The LPL-KD cells are more responsive to insulin and show greater glucose uptake, glucose oxidation and glycogen synthesis compared to wild-type cells. The finding that repression of lipoprotein lipase expression improves cellular metabolic activity opens up a novel approach for the management of metabolic disorders such as diabetes and obesity. Further investigations are underway to identify regulatory intermediates that contribute to insulin resistance in the presence of LPL.

Selected Publications: D. Akopian, R.L. Kawashima and J.D. Medh, “Phosphatidylcholine-mediated aqueous diffusion of cellular cholesterol down-regulates the ABCA1 transporter in human skin fibroblasts”, International Journal of Biochemistry Research & Review, 5, 214 (2015). M. Jan and J.D. Medh, “ShRNA-mediated gene silencing of lipoprotein lipase improves insulin sensitivity in L6 skeletal muscle cells”, Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun., 462, 33 (2015). R.L. Kawashima and J.D. Medh, "Down-regulation of lipoprotein lipase increases ABCA1-mediated cholesterol efflux in THP-1 macrophages", Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 450, 1416 (2014). D.F. Dahabreh and J.D. Medh, "Activation of peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma results in an atheroprotective apolipoprotein profile in HepG2 cells", Advances in Biological Chemistry, 2, 218 (2012). S. McClelland, R. Shrivastava and J.D. Medh, “Regulation of translational efficiency by disparate 5'-UTRs of PPARγ splice variants”, PPAR Research, [Online] Article ID 193413 (2009). V. Lopez, K. Saraff and J.D. Medh, “Down-regulation of lipoprotein lipase increases glucose uptake in L6 muscle cells”, Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 389, 34 (2009). D. Akopian and J.D. Medh, "Genetics and Molecular Biology: Phospholipid transfer protein in atherogenesis", Current Opinion in Lipidology, 17, 695 (2006). Recent MS Theses: M. Jan “Silencing LPL Promotes Insulin Sensitivity in rat Skeletal Muscle Cells and Development of DMD-hiPSC Derived SMPCs for Regenerative and pre-Clinical Applications for DMD” (2015); R. Kawashima “Regulatory Functions of Lipoprotein Lipase on Cholesterol Transporter ATP-Binding Cassette Transporter A1”

(2013); S. Nazemzadeh “Regulation of PPAR- target genes by

GW501516 in HepG2 Cells” (2012); D. Dahabreh “Effects PPAR- activation on the synthesis of apolipoprotein in HepG2 cells” (2010); P. Fausset “Investigation of a low molecular weight chromium binding peptide potentially involved in glucose metabolism” (2009); Anna Jimenez “Regulation of effector genes in THP-1 macrophages by PPAR-gamma isoforms” (2009); M. Haghnegahdar “Quantitation of estrogen receptor-alpha mRNA in MCF-7 cells by real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)” (2008); D. Akopian “Regulation of cholesterol efflux from cultured human skin fibroblasts by lipoprotein liapse and phospholipids” (2007).

Structure of human lipoprotein lipase

15

GAGIK G. MELIKYAN (Gagik.Melikyan@csun.edu)

B.S. Yerevan State University, Yerevan, 1973; Ph.D. Institute of Elementorganic Compounds, NAS, Moscow, 1977; D.Sc. Institute of Organic Chemistry, NAS, Yerevan, 1990; Alexander von Humboldt Fellow, University Erlangen - Nurnberg, Erlangen, 1990 – 1992; Adjunct Professor of Chemistry, University of Oklahoma, Norman, 1993 – 1995. (Organic Chemistry) Professor Melikyan's research interests include radical and ionic reactions of transition metal-complexed unsaturated systems; novel therapeutic agents for breast cancer treatment; stereocontrolled radical transformations of coordinated molecules; new synthetic methodologies in organic and organometallic chemistry; nonsteroidal hormones; food chemistry; antioxidants; supplements; cosmetics; environmental chemistry. Dr. Melikyan is author or coauthor of 84 research publications in peer-reviewed scientific journals, including 7 reviews, and over 88 presentations at national and international conferences. He is also an author of the award-winning book "Guilty Until Proven Innocent: Antioxidants, Foods, Supplements, and Cosmetics" (www.csun.edu/gmelikyan).

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Cobalt-complexed propargyl radical

First X-ray structure of Co- complexed propargyl cation

Novel manganese complexes for site-selective DNA cleavage

Selected Recent Publications:

G.G. Melikyan, R. Davis, B. Anker, D. Meron and K. Duncan, "Acquiring a prognostic power in Co2(CO)6-mediated, dobaltocene-induced radical dimerizations of propargyl triflates", Organometallics, 35, 4060 (2016).

G.G. Melikyan, R. Davis and S. Cappuccino, "Acquiring and exploiting persistency of propargyl radicals: Novel paradigms" Organometallics, 35, 2854 (2016).

G.G. Melikyan and B. Anker, “Radical reactions of 1,4-alkadiynes: metal coordination as an effective tool for controlling the regio- and stereoselectivity of the C-C bond formation”, Organometallics 34, 4194 (2015).

G.G. Melikyan, R. Hughes, B. Rivas, K. Duncan and N. Sahakyan, “Assembling contiguous quaternary carbon atoms: regio- and stereoselective rearrangements in cobalt-directed radical reactions of 1,4-enynes”, Organometallics 34, 242 (2015).

G.G. Melikyan, “Propargyl Radical Chemistry: Renaissance Instigated by Metal Coordination”, Accounts of Chemical Research 48, 1065 (2015).

G.G. Melikyan, E. Voorhees and R. Sepanian, "Radical reactions of the cobalt-complexed propargyl acetals: inter- and intramolecular variants", Organometallics 33, 69 (2014).

G.G. Melikyan, L. Carlson, N. Sahakyan, A. Floruti and M. Garrison, "Impact of Reducing Agent, Temperature, and Substrate Topology on Diastereoselectivity of the Intermolecular Coupling Reactions, or How “Free” Are Cobalt-Complexed Propargyl Radicals?", Dalton Transactions 42, 14801 (2013).

G.G. Melikyan, B. Rivas, S. Harutyunyan, L. Carlson and R. Sepanian,"Cobaltocene-Induced Low-Temperature Radical Coupling Reactions in a Cobalt-Alkyne Series", Organometallics 31, 1653 (2012).

G.G. Melikyan, R. Spencer and A.Rowe, "1,3-Steric Induction in Intermolecular Radical Reactions Mediated by a Co2(CO)6-Metal Core", Organometallics, 29, 3556 (2010).

G.G. Melikyan and R. Spencer,"Inter- and Intramolecular Isocarbon Couplings of Cobalt-Complexed Propargyl Radicals: Challenging the Consensus", Tetrahedron, 66, 5321 (2010).

G.G. Melikyan, E. Voorhees, C. Wild, R. Spencer and J. Molnar, "Carbon Tether Rigidity as a Stereochemical Tool Directing Intramolecular Radical Cyclizations", Tetrahedron Letters, 51, 2287 (2010). Recent MS Theses: R. Gould “Allylic Rearrangements in Cobalt-Mediated Radical Coupling Reactions” (2015); E. Voorhees “Transition Metal-Mediated Radical Reactions of Propargyl Acetals” (2013); R. Sepanian “Radical Coupling Reactions Under Neutral Conditions and Their Biological Relevance” (2010); R. Spencer “Inter- and Intramolecular Radical C-C Bond Formation Mediated by a Transition Metal Core” (2010); C. Wild “Cobalt-Assisted Intramolecular Radical Cyclization Reactions” (2008); A. Floruti “Cross-Coupling of Cobalt-Complexed Propargyl Radicals: Chemo-, Regio-, and Diastereoselective Access to 3,4-Diaryl-1.5-hexadiynes” (2008); A. Rowe “Topologically Diverse D,L-3,4-Diaryl-1,5-alkadiynes: Design, Stereoselective Synthesis and Biotesting” (2006).

16

MAOSHENG MIAO (Maosheng.Miao@csun.edu)

M.S. Jilin University, China, 1991; Ph.D. Jilin University, China, 1994; Postdoctoral research, University of Antwerp, Belgium; Research Associate, Case Western Reserve; Research Scientist, Washington State University; Associate Specialist, UCSB. (Physical Chemistry) Dr. Miao’s research focuses on three major areas: New chemistry under high pressure: Recent work from the Miao lab showed that the conceptual boundaries of valence electrons are not absolute, especially under extreme conditions like high pressure. For example, Dr. Miao demonstrated that both the 5p electrons and the 5d empty orbitals in Cs can become reactive; making Cs behave either like a p-block element or an anion with negative charges beyond -1 under pressure. His work continues in this area. Structure-property relation of functional materials: First principles computations connect the composition and structure of matter with their properties and functions, and therefore are indispensable techniques for materials and solid state chemistry research. Not only can they help in the design new materials through the search of large composition space, they can also provide in-depth information of the atomistic and electronic structures. Equipped with a wide spectrum of computational methods, such as DFT with advanced functionals and large scale automatic structure search methods, Dr Miao’s group is studying novel two-dimensional materials, the surfaces and interfaces of semiconductor and other functional materials.

Using computer simulation, Dr Miao proposed and revealed a rich perspective of combining the coordinate chemistry of macrocyclic molecules with honeycomb lattice of graphene. The combination also leads to a family of new materials that has potentials in many areas including photolysis and two-dimensional superconductivity.

Computational methods development: Dr. Miao’s major interests in this area include large scale electronic structure simulation based on orbital free density functional theory, and automatic unbiased structure search for functional materials, surfaces and interfaces etc. His lab recently developed an efficient method that can automatically explore the surface structures by virtue of structure swarm intelligence. While applying the method on the "simple" diamond (100) surface, he discovered a hitherto unexpected surface reconstruction featuring self-assembly of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) arrays. The intriguing covalent bonding between the neighboring tubes creates a unique feature of carrier kinetics.

Using cutting edge computer simulation methods based on quantum mechanics, Dr Miao found that the molecules added to functionalize carbon nanotube (CNT) may form strong covalent bond with the latter. Calculations have revealed the chemical interaction between the molecules and CNT, and may guide development of carbon based electronics. Selected Publications:

Z. Liu, J. Botana, A. Hermann, S. Valdez, E. Zurek, D. Yan, H.Q. Lin and M.S. Miao. “Reactivity of He with ionic compounds under high pressure,” Nature Communications, 9, 951 (2018).

M.S. Miao, J.Botana, E. Zurek, T. Hu, J. Liu and W. Yang, "Electron counting and a large family of two-dimensional semiconductors,” Chemistry of Materials, 28, 1994 (2016).

J. Botana and M.S Miao, "Pressure-stabilized lithium caesides with caesium anions beyond -1 state," Nature Communications, 5, 4861 (2014).

S.H. Lu, Y.C.Wang, H.Y. Liu, M.S. Miao and Y.M. Ma, "Ultrathin nanotube self-embedded on diamond (100) surface," Nature Communications, 5, 3666 (2014).

M.S. Miao and R. Hoffmann, "High-pressure electrides: a predictive chemical and physical theory," Accounts of Chemical Research, 47, 1311 (2014).

M.S. Miao, "Caesium in high oxidation states and as a p-block element," Nature Chemistry, 5, 846-852 (2013).

M.S. Miao, Q.M. Yan, C.G. Van de Walle, W.K. Lou, L.L. Li and K. Chang, "Polarization-driven topological insulator transition in a GaN/InN/GaN quantum well," Physical Review Letters, 109, 186803 (2012).

M.S. Miao, J.A. Kurzman, N. Mammen, S. Narasimhan and R. Seshadri, "Trends in the electronic structure of extended gold compounds: Implications for use of gold in heterogeneous catalysis," Inorganic Chemistry, 51, 7569 (2012).

17

THOMAS G. MINEHAN (Thomas.Minehan@csun.edu)

B.A., Columbia College, New York, 1992; Ph.D., Harvard University, 1998; Postdoctoral research, California Institute of Technology. (Organic Chemistry) Dr. Minehan’s research involves the development of atom-efficient and environmentally friendly methodologies for organic synthesis. Of particular interest are reactions that allow multiple carbon-carbon bonds to be formed in a single operation with high degrees of stereoselectivity. The utility of such reactions will be demonstrated by the preparation of complex, biologically active natural products. The Claisen rearrangement is a powerful method for forming carbon-carbon bonds, and it is particularly useful for introducing quaternary centers in a stereo-defined fashion. The lab is currently exploring the efficiency and stereoselectivity of a Claisen-like sigmatropic rearrangement of allyl-alkynyl ethers, which potentially allows up to three carbon-carbon bonds to be formed in a single step. Indium metal is a benign reagent that has been used extensively for carbon-carbon bond formation in aqueous media. Furthermore, organoindium compounds (R3In) atom-efficiently transfer all three of their organic ligands in coupling reactions. The Minehan lab has successfully employed indium reagents in the synthesis of C-aryl glycosides, which are naturally occuring molecules with potent antitumor and antibacterial activity. They continue to explore their utility for the stereoselective formation of carbon-carbon bonds in these and other classes of natural products.

a. The Synthesis of C-Aryl Glycosides. b. 3,3-Sigmatropic Rearrangement of Allyl-Alkynyl ethers.

Selected Publications:

M. Balazy, A. Fausto, C. Voskanian, B. Chavez, H. Panesar, T.G. Minehan, “Dimeric and trimeric derivatives of the azinomycin B chromophore show enhanced DNA binding,” Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry, 15, 4522 (2017).

K. Ng, V. Tran and T. Minehan, "A single-flask synthesis of α-alkylidene and α-benzylidene lactones from ethoxyacetylene, epoxides/oxetanes, and carbonyl compounds", Tetrahedron Letters, 57, 415-419 (2016).

H. Panesar, J. Solano and T.G. Minehan, “Synthesis and DNA binding profile of N-mono- and N,N'-disubstituted indolo[3,2-b]carbazoles”, Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry, 13, 2879 (2015).

X. Cai, K. Ng, H. Panesar, A. Yepremyan and T.G. Minehan, “Total Synthesis of the Antitumor Natural Product Polycarcin V and Evaluation of Its DNA Binding Profile”, Organic Letters, 16, 2962 (2014).

M. Mavlan, K. Ng, H. Panesar, A. Yepremyan and T.G. Minehan, “Synthesis of 3,3'-di-O-methyl Ardimerin and exploration of its DNA binding properties”, Organic Letters, 16, 2212 (2014).

A. Yepremyan and T.G. Minehan, "Total Synthesis of Indole-3-Acetonitrile-4-Methoxy-2-C-b-D-Glucopyranoside. Proposal for Structural Revision of the Natural Product", Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry, 10, 5194 (2012).

V. Tran and T.G. Minehan, "Intramolecular [2 + 2] Cycloaddition Reactions of Alkynyl Ether Derived Ketenes. A Convenient Synthesis of Donor–Acceptor Cyclobutanes", Organic Letters, 13, 6588 (2011).

A.A. Tudjarian and T.G. Minehan, "[3,3]-Sigmatropic Rearrangement/5-Exo-Dig Cyclization Reactions of Benzyl Alkynyl Ethers: Synthesis of Substituted 2-Indanones and Indenes", Journal of Organic Chemistry, 76, 3576 (2011).

H. Dhanjee and T.G. Minehan, "Indium-Mediated Allylation of Aldehydes, Ketones, and Sulfonimines with 2-(Alkoxy) allyl bromides", Tetrahedron Letters, 51, 5609 (2010).

A. Yepremyan, B. Salehani and T.G. Minehan, "Concise Total Syntheses of Aspalathin and Nothofagin", Organic Letters, 12, 1580 (2010).

J.A. Moral, S.-J. Moon, S. Rodriguez-Torres and T.G. Minehan, "A Sequential Indium-Mediated Aldehyde Allylation/Palladium-Catalyzed Cross-Coupling Reaction in the Synthesis of 2-Deoxy-?-C-Aryl Glycosides", Organic Letters, 11, 3734 (2009).

J.R. Sosa, A.T. Tudjarian, and T.G. Minehan, "Synthesis of Alkynyl Ethers and Low Temperature Sigmatropic Rearrangement of Ally and Benzyl Alkynyl Ethers", Organic Letters, 10, 5091 (2008).

M. S. Theses: C. Dimirjian, “Towards the Synthesis of Diandraflavone” (2015); X. Cai, “Total synthesis of Polycarcin V” (2014); M. Mavlan, “Synthesis of 3,3’-di-O-methylardimerin and evaluation of its DNA binding profile” (2014); C. Omura, “Synthesis of aryl piperidine and aryl aza-sugar compound: Mimics of DNA-intercalating agents” (2012); S. Rodriguez-Torres, "A New Route for the Stereoselective Synthesis of 2-Deoxy-Beta-C-Aryl Glycoside Natural Compounds" (2010).

18

TAEBOEM OH (Taeboem.Oh@csun.edu)

B.S., Juniata College, Pennsylvania, 1980; Ph.D., University of Virginia, 1985; Postdoctoral research, U.C. Irvine. (Organic Chemistry) Dr. Oh's research is in the development of new methods and strategies for organic synthesis. These methods will be applied to undertake efficient syntheses of complex naturally occurring molecules, particularly those with biological activity and potential use in medicine or medical research. The Diels-Alder reaction is one of the most powerful reactions in organic synthesis. However, hetero Diels-Alder reactions have not been developed to the same extent as in all carbon systems. One of the goals of the Oh lab is to develop and apply the hetero Diels-Alder reaction to natural product synthesis. Current targets of interest are indole alkaloids, starting with ergot alkaloids, and histrionicotoxins. Many drugs are chiral existing in right-and left-handed molecular forms, that is, the two mirror images of the drug can differ considerably in their pharmacological effects. The Oh lab project in this area involves the development of chiral Lewis acids that can catalyze and induce asymmetry in organic transformations. The Oh lab also has an interest in ionic liquids and use of ionic liquids in organic reactions. Some reasons for this interest are that it is a potential environmentally friendly synthetic method, immobilization of catalyst for a more efficient synthetic method, and others. This interest lies in that ionic liquids with it unique solvation properties can improve chemical transformations, specifically higher selectivity and increased reactivity for unreactive systems in traditional solvents.

Ergot Alkaloids Histrionicotoxin Multidentate Lewis acids

Selected Publications: R. Kim, I. Meracz, L. Serbulea, G. Cebero, T. Oh, "Approaches to Imino diels-Alder Reactions in Imidazolium Ionic Liquids" In Ionic Liquids in Organic Synthesis, ACS Symposium Series 950, American Chemical Society, Washington, DC, 2007, Chapter 8, 95-103. W.G. Earley, J.E. Jacobsen, A. Madin, G.P. Meier, C.J. O'Donnell, T. Oh, D.W. Old, L.E. Overman and M.J. Sharp, “Aza-cope rearrangement-mannich cyclizations for the formation of complex tricyclic amines: stereocontrolled total synthesis of (+/-)-gelsemine”, Journal of the American Chemical Society, 127, 18046 (2005).

A. Madin, C.J. O'Donnell, T. Oh, D.W. Old, L.E. Overman and M.J. Sharp, “Use of the intramolecular Heck reaction for forming congested quaternary carbon stereocenters. Stereocontrolled total synthesis of (+/-)-gelsemine”, Journal of the American Chemical Society, 127, 18054 (2005). I. Meracz and T. Oh, "Asymmetric Diels-Alder reactions in ionic liquids”, Tetrahedron Letters, 44, 6465 (2003). T. Oh, P. Lopez and M. Reilly, "Simultaneous coordination of dimethyl crotonthioamide by 1,8-naphthalenediylbis(mercuric-trifluoroacetate). Synthesis of optically pure 2,2'-bisboryl-, bismercuric-, bissilyl-, bisstannyl-substituted 1,1'-binaphthyl compounds. Catalysis of Diels-alder reactions of O-ethyl crotonthioate by 2,2'-bismercuric-1,1'-binaphthalene", Recent Research Developments in Organic Chemistry 6, 379 (2002). P. Buonora, J. C. Olsen and T. Oh, "Recent Advances in Imino Diels-Alder Reactions", Tetrahedron 57(29), 6099 (2001). T. Oh and M. Reilly, "Chiral Bidentate Lewis Acids Derived From 1,8-Naphthalenediylbis(dichloroborane) and N-Toluenesulfonyl Amino Acids or Diols", Trends in Organic Chemistry 9, 107 (2001). P. Lopez, M. Reilly and T. Oh, “Synthesis of Optically Pure 2,2'-dimercurio-1,1'-binaphthyl Compounds: Catalysis of Diels-Alder Reactions of O-Ethyl Crotonthioate”, European Journal of Organic Chemistry, 2901 (2000). P. Lopez and T. Oh, "Simultaneous Coordination of Dimethyl Crotonthioamide by 1,8–Naphthalenediylbis(mercurictrifluoro-acetate)", Tetrahedron Letters, 41(14), 2313 (2000). M. S. Theses: O. Rattanaprasit “Urea and thiourea catalysts” (2007); J. Mecom “Synthetic methods towards the synthesis of ergot alkaloids” (2006); C. Yulek “Atropisomerism in Pyridyl Systems” (2006); Z. Fakhary “Synthetic Studies of Aza- and Oxa-Spirocyclic Compounds” (2006); R. J. Kim “Ionic Liquids in Organic Reactions” (2005); T. Tasu “Binaphthyl Imide Atrope Isomers in Asymmetric Syntheses” (2005); A. Schultz “Studies Directed Toward the Total Synthesis of Ergoline Alkaloids” (2003); I. Meracz “Diels-Alder Reactions in Ionic Liquids” (2001); J.-C. Olsen “Binaphthyl Chiral Auxilaries for Conjugate addition” (2000); P. Huang “Novel Approaches to the Synthesis of Azaspirocyclic Compounds” (1999); P. Lopez “Simultaneous Coordination of Thiocarbonyl Groups by Bidentate Lewis Acids”, (1999).

19

YANN SCHRODI (Yann.Schrodi@csun.edu)

B.S. University Louis Pasteur, Strasbourg, 1994; M.S. University Louis Pasteur, Strasbourg, 1995; Ph.D. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2001; Materia, Inc., Pasadena, CA, 2001-2007. (Inorganic and Organometallic Chemistry)

Dr. Schrodi’s general research interests are in the development of catalysts based on inorganic or organometallic transition metal complexes. Dr. Schrodi’s vision is to contribute to the field of Inorganic and Organometallic Chemistry on fundamental and applied levels, by investigating new ways to activate small molecules and developing catalysts useful in the pharmaceutical and chemical industry.

One area of current research concerns the design and development of novel olefin metathesis catalysts. These catalysts have had a tremendous impact on synthetic chemistry over the past decade. This fact was recognized with the awarding of the 2005 Nobel Prize in Chemistry to Chauvin, Grubbs and Schrock for the development of the olefin metathesis method. Despite the great advances achieved in this field during the past fifteen years, there remain several unmet challenges. Particularly attractive goals include the development of longer-lived ruthenium olefin metathesis catalysts and of catalytic systems based on metals other and less expensive than ruthenium. The Schrodi group is currently working towards these goals.

A second area of current focus is the preparation of new ligands, including highly encumbered N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligands and their applications to reactions catalyzed by late transition metals (e.g., ruthenium, rhodium, and palladium). Since their discovery by Arduengo, NHCs have been widely used to ligate transition metals and have enabled tremendous improvements in transformations such as olefin methathesis and palladium-catalyzed C-C coupling reactions. Larger NHC ligands are often able to impart superior properties to the catalysts that contain them, such as faster initiation, greater stability, and greater selectivity. Therefore, the development of highly encumbered NHC molecules promises to lead to further catalyst improvements and to access novel and reactive low-coordinate NHC-metal complexes.

Finally, a third area of interest involves the design and synthesis of homo- and hetero-multinuclear metal complexes towards the activation and transformation of small molecules (e.g., N2 and CO2).

Dr. Schrodi’s research employs techniques of organic synthesis, inorganic and organometallic chemistry and catalysis, utilizing special equipment (e.g., inert-atmosphere glove boxes, inert-gas/vacuum lines, and modern solvent purification systems of the Grubbs-type) and a wide range of analytical methods (e.g., multinuclear NMR, single-crystal X-ray crystallography, GC, GC-MS, and LC-MS).

In addition to learning these synthetic and analytical lab techniques, students in the Schrodi laboratory will acquire strong skills in areas such as problem solving and proper use of laboratory notebooks. These assets will help them build a successful career in fields like education, academic or industrial research, and medical professions. Selected Publications:

W.-S. DeRieux, A. Wong and Y. Schrodi. "Synthesis and characterization of iron complexes based on bis-phosphinite PONOP and bis-phosphite PONOP pincer ligands", Journal of Organometallic Chemistry, 772-773, 60 (2014).

D.S. Tabari, D.R. Tolentino and Y. Schrodi. "Reactivation of a Ruthenium-Based Olefin Metathesis Catalyst", Organometallics, 32, 5 (2013).

L.R. Jimenez, D.R. Tolentino, B.J. Gallon and Y. Schrodi, “Development of a Method for the Preparation of Ruthenium Indenylidene-Ether Olefin Metathesis Catalysts”, Molecules, 17, 5675 (2012).

L. Jimenez, B.J. Gallon and Y. Schrodi, "A Most Convenient and Atom-Economic Preparation of a Highly Active Ring-Closing Metathesis Catalyst", Organometallics, 29, 3471 (2010).

D. Anderson, T. Ung, G. Mkrtumyan, G. Bertrand, Y. Schrodi and R. H. Grubbs. "Kinetic Selectivity of Olefin Metathesis Catalysts Bearing Cyclic(alkyl)(amino) Carbenes", Organometallics, 27, 563 (2008).

I.C. Stewart, T. Ung, A.A. Pletnev, J.M. Berlin, R.H. Grubbs and Y. Schrodi, "Highly Efficient Catalysts for the Formation of Tetrasubstituted Olefins via Ring-Closing Metathesis", Organic Letters, 9, 1589 (2007).

Y. Schrodi and R.L. Pederson. "Evolution and Applications of Second-Generation Ruthenium Olefin Metathesis Catalysts", Aldrichimica Acta, 40, 45 (2007).

T. Ung, A. Hejl, R.H. Grubbs and Y. Schrodi, "Latent Ruthenium Olefin Metathesis Catalysts That Contain an N-Heterocyclic Carbene Ligand", Organometallics, 23, 5399 (2004).

Y. Schrodi, P.J. Jr. Bonitatebus and R.R. Schrock, "Cationic Zirconium Complexes that Contain Mesityl-Substituted Diamido/Donor Ligands. Decomposition via CH Activation and Its Influence on 1-Hexene Polymerization", Organometallics, 20, 3560 (2001). M. S. Theses: J. Carter “Hoveyda-Grubbs Second Generation Olefin Metathesis Catalysts Bearing Hemi-Labile Ether Arms: Synthesis, Performance, and Structural Analysis” (2016); S. Ruark “Iron and Molybdenum Complexes Supported by Pincer Ligands: Towards the Development of New Olefin Metathesis Catalysts” (2016); W.-S. DeRieux “Iron Coordination with Bis-Phosphinite PONOP and Bis-Phosphite PONOP Pincer Ligands: Toward the Development of Iron Alkylidenes” (2013); D. Tabari “First Regeneration of a Ruthenium-Based Olefin Metathesis Catalyst” (2012).

20

DANIEL TAMAE (Daniel.Tamae@csun.edu)

B.S., California State University, Los Angeles, 2001; Ph.D., Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, 2011; Postdoctoral research, University of Pennsylvania, 2011-2016. (Biochemistry) The Tamae Lab applies the principles and tools of biochemistry, analytical chemistry and molecular biology to interrogate the intersection of cellular metabolism and cancer. Dr. Tamae’s broader interests include understanding adaptive mechanisms that cancer cells employ to become resistant to treatment. Cancer Biology and Metabolism 1. Glucose metabolism: A variety of tumor types metabolize large amounts of glucose relative to normal tissue. This hallmark has come to be known as the Warburg effect. We are investigating the molecular mechanisms that these cancer cells utilize to detoxify the toxic by-products of glucose such as the highly reactive α-oxoaldehyde, methylglyoxal. The ultimate goal is to metabolically target these detoxification pathways in tumor types that are glycolytic. 2. Hormone metabolism: Breast and prostate cancer are the most frequently diagnosed cancers in the developed world. Both cancers are hormone-driven. Hormone biosynthesis and signaling are thus a rich area for therapeutic targeting and form a cornerstone in treatment. These therapies are effective and increase survival in many patients, but a subset of patients have tumors display de novo or acquired resistance and fail to respond to therapies. Triple negative breast cancer and castration-resistant prostate cancer are two examples of difficult to treat subsets that have poor patient prognosis. The Tamae lab will interrogate hormone metabolism and compensatory mechanisms in response to therapy in order to improve our understanding of resistance. 3. Metabolic syndrome and cancer risk: The metabolic syndrome encompasses obesity and diabetes, both of which are a growing burden on healthcare systems world-wide. While the primary risk associated with the metabolic syndrome is cardiovascular disease, a growing body of research suggests that the hyperlipidemia and hyperglycemia may also increase one's relative risk for certain cancers. Separate epidemiological data also indicates that the affordable and regularly prescribed anti-diabetic drug, metformin reduces one's relative risk for certain cancers. Teasing out the underlying mechanisms between the metabolic syndrome and cancer

is of particular interest to the lab as there may be multiple layers of cross-talk between a variety of signaling and metabolic pathways such as that of glucose and hormone metabolism. The confluence of reactive oxygen species and reactive carbonyl species in the metabolic syndrome cellular milieu is of interest as they may conspire to damage DNA and lead to mutagenesis, which can lead to cancer. We are interested to investigate the role of metformin as a scavenger of reactive carbonyl species which would give a molecular mechanism for the epidemiological data showing it to reduce cancer risk. Selected publications: R. Jandial, J. Neman, P.P. Lim, D. Tamae, C.M. Kowolik, G.E. Wuenschell, S.C. Shuck, A.K. Ciminera, L.R. DeJesus, C. Ouyang, M.Y. Chen and J. Termini, “Inhibition of GLO1 in glioblastoma multiforme increases DNA-AGEs, stimulates RAGE expression, and inhibits brain tumor growth in orthotopic mouse models”, International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 19, 406 (2018). T. Zang, D. Tamae, C. Mesaros, Q. Wang, M. Huang, I.A. Blair and T.M. Penning, “Simultaneous quantitation of nine hydroxy-androgens and their conjugates in human serum by stable isotope dilution liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry”, Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 165, 341 (2017). T.M. Penning and D. Tamae, "Current advances in intratumoral androgen metabolism in castration-resistant prostate cancer", Current Opinions in Endocrinology Diabetes and Obesity, 23, 264 (2016). D. Tamae, E. Mostaghel, B. Montgomery, P.S. Nelson, S.P. Balk, P.W. Kantoff, M.E. Taplin and T.M. Penning, "The DHEA-sulfate depot following P450c17 inhibition supports the case for AKR1C3 inhibition in high risk localized and advanced castration resistant prostate cancer", Chemical Biological Interactions, 234, 332 (2015). D. Tamae, M. Byrns, B. Marck, E.A. Mostaghel, P.S. Nelson, P. Lange, D. Lin, M.E. Taplin, S. Balk, W. Ellis, L. True, R. Vessella, B. Montgomery, I.A. Blair and T.M. Penning, "Development, validation and application of a stable isotope dilution liquid chromatography electrospray ionization/selected reaction monitoring/mass spectrometry (SID-LC/ESI/SRM/MS) method for quantification of keto-androgens in human serum", Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 138, 281 (2013). D. Tamae, P. Lim, G.E. Wuenschell and J. Termini, "Mutagenesis and repair induced by the DNA advanced glycation end product N2-(1-carboxyethyl)-2'-deoxyguanosine in human cells", Biochemistry, 50, 2321 (2011). G.E. Wuenschell, D. Tamae, A. Cercillieux, R. Yamanaka, C. Yu and J. Termini, “Mutagenic potential of DNA glycation: miscoding by (R)- and (S)-N2-(1-carboxyethyl)-2’-deoxyguanosine”, Biochemistry, 49, 1814 (2010).

21

JOSEPH A. TEPROVICH (joseph.teprovich@csun.edu)

B.S., DeSales University, 2003; Ph.D., Lehigh University, 2008; Postdoctoral research, Lehigh University, 2008-2009; Postdoctoral research, Savannah River National Lab, 2009-2011; Principal Scientist, Savannah River National Lab, 2011-2017 (Analytical/Materials) Material development for energy storage and conversion devices In the Teprovich lab, students will gain hands-on experience with a variety of analytical instrumentation and techniques related to energy storage and conversion including: UV-vis, fluorometer, potentiostat/electrochemistry, inert atmosphere glovebox operation, battery cell assembly and testing, and maintaining an electronic notebook. 1. Fluorescent carbon nanomaterials: Due to the unique nature of carbon it can adopt many different structural allotropes: 3-D (diamond, graphite), 2-D (graphene), 1-D (nanotube), or 0-D (fullerene). Each of these allotropes have unique photophysical properties allowing them to interact with various wavelengths of light. This has led to their utilization in various applications from biological imaging to fluorescent polymers. Our lab is developing novel carbon based nanocomposite materials that can be utilized as multimodal imaging agents in biological systems and for energy down conversion devices such as LEDs.

PMMA slabs infused with different C60 based carbon quantum dots (CQD) under visible (top) and UV light (bottom).

2. Solid state electrolytes: Current lithium ion batteries are a ubiquitous part of our daily lives, however, there is an inherent safety risk associated with their use. This is due to the poor stability of the flammable organic electrolyte solution utilized to shuttle the lithium ions between the anode and the cathode during charging and

discharging. The goal of this project is to replace the liquid electrolyte with a solid one that eliminates the fire risk. Additionally, the use of solid electrolytes will also allow for the use of high capacity and higher voltage anodes and cathodes that can increase the energy density of the battery.

Components and assembly of all solid-state lithium ion battery.

3. High capacity nano-carbon composite anodes: In commercially available lithium ion batteries, the anode material is typically graphite. While graphite has an acceptable capacity and good cycle stability, a much more stable and higher capacity anode material is needed for the next generation of lithium ion batteries to meet mobile and transportation requirements. This has led to the development of various high surface area carbon composite materials that have a much higher stability and capacity than graphite. Additionally, these materials can also reversibly store other alkali (Na+, K+) and alkaline earth (Ca2+, Mg2+) metals. These metals are less expensive and more abundant than lithium. This project focuses on the understanding the fundamental interaction(s) of these metals with the carbon nanostructure which will aid development of nano-carbon composite anodes that can reversibly interact with these metal ions for new battery chemistries.

Coin cell lithium ion battery lighting a green LED.

Representative publications (out of 30):

“Investigation of the Reversible Lithiation of an Oxide Free Aluminum Anode by a LiBH4 Solid State Electrolyte” J.A. Weeks, S.C. Tinkey, P.A. Ward, R. Lascola, R. Zidan, J.A. Teprovich Jr., Inorganics, 2017, 5, 83.

"Fine-tuning the fluorescence of Li and Na intercalated C60 with hydrogen” J.A. Teprovich Jr., J.A. Weeks, P. Ward, A.L. Washington, R. Zidan, Int. J. Hydrogen Energy, 2017, 42, 22511-22517.

“Investigation of Hydrogen Induced Fluorescence in C60 and its Potential use in Luminescent Down Shifting Applications J. A. Teprovich, Jr., A. L. Washington, II, J. Dixon, P. A. Ward, J. H. Christian, B. Peters, J. Zhou, S. Giri, D. N. Sharp, J. A. Velten, R. N. Compton, P. Jena, R. Zidan, Nanoscale, 2016, 8, 18760-18770.

“Electrochemical and Photophysical Properties of Multifunctional Li2B12H12 for use in Energy Storage and Conversion Applications” J.A. Teprovich Jr, H. Colon-Mercado, A.L. Washington II, P.A. Ward, H. Hartman, S. Greenway, D.M. Missimer, J. Velten, J.H. Christian, R. Zidan, J. Mater. Chem. A, 2015, 3, 22853-22859.

“Li-Driven Electrochemical Conversion Reaction of AlH3, LiAlH4, and NaAlH4” J.A. Teprovich, Jr. J. Zhang, H. Colon-Mercado, F. Cuevas, B. Peters, S. Greenway, R. Zidan, M. Latroche, J. Phys. Chem. C, 2015, 119, 4666-4674.

See researchgate.net or google scholar profile for additional publications/patents.

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JESSICA L. VEY (Jessica.Vey@csun.edu)

B.S., Temple University, Philadelphia, 2001; Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2008; Postdoctoral research, Vanderbilt University. (Biochemistry and Structural Biology) The general research interests of the Vey lab lie in protein structure and engineering. X-ray crystallography, bioinformatics and biochemical characterization are used to elucidate the details of enzyme catalysis, with the long-term goal of modifying target enzymes in a rational manner. Bacteria carry out many processes that are essential to humans, such as fermentation to produce food and alcohol, synthesis of medically valuable products, and breakdown of pollutants. A thorough understanding of the mechanisms of these processes will allow researchers to harness the power of these bacteria for biotechnological applications; for example, to design more effective therapeutics, carry out more efficient bioremediation, or develop inexpensive methods for catalysis of industrial chemical reactions. A starting point for research in the Vey lab is an attempt to understand the structural determinants for activity of the Class D flavin-containing monooxygenases (FMOs). Representatives of this enzyme family have been identified in antibiotic biosynthetic pathways as well as pathways bacteria use to degrade several specific aromatic molecules (dibenzothiophene, for example). New members of this class of enzymes are continually being discovered, and Dr. Vey suspects that this scaffold will prove to be quite useful for biotech-nological applications. A more complete understanding of the Class D FMO mechanisms will allow for enzyme engineering for specific biotechnological purposes (developing new antibiotics, for example). The Vey lab is currently focusing on the structural characterization of two Class D FMOs: isobutylamine-N-hydroxylase (vlmH) and DnmZ. Both of these enzymes are involved in the biosynthetic pathways of molecules with antibiotic and anticancer activity (valanimycin and daunorubicin, respectively, both of which have efficacy against bacteria as well as several cancers – including leukemias), and characterizing them will help provide an understanding of the methods bacteria used to make these two antibiotics.

The primary method the Vey laboratory uses is protein X-ray crystallography. Crystals of the protein of interest are grown in small

volumes and examined under a microscope. These crystals are frozen and shipped to synchrotron facilities, where they are irradiated with high intensity X-rays. The crystals diffract the X-rays, yielding a diffraction pattern (shown below). Analysis of the diffraction pattern allows for the generation of electron density maps (also shown below) that are used to build atomic-level models of the protein of interest. Analysis of the structure gives insight into the mechanism of action of the protein.

Students in the Vey lab have the opportunity to learn standard biochemical techniques, including protein expression and purification, assaying for enzymatic activity, molecular biology, crystallization, analysis of X-ray diffraction data and model building / refinement, and bioinformatics. Participation in this research will provide students with a molecular-level understanding of enzymatic catalysis in their enzyme of interest,

familiarity with common biochemical research techniques and experience with the analysis and communication of scientific results. Several projects aimed at structural characterization of biotechnologically interesting enzymes are currently ongoing. For more detailed descriptions of current research projects, please contact Dr. Vey.

Selected Publications:

L. Gonzalez-Osorio, K. Luong, S. Jirde, B.A. Palfey and J.L. Vey, "Initial investigations of C4a-(hydro)peroxyflavin intermediate formation by dibenzothiophene monooxygenase." Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 481, 189 (2016). C.A. Jordan, B.A. Sandoval, M.V. Serobyan, D. Gilling, M.P. Groziak, H.H. Xu and J.L. Vey, "Crystallographic insights into the structure-activity relationships of diazaborine enoyl-ACP reductase inhibitors", Acta Crystallographica, F71, 1521 (2015). L. Sartor, C. Ibarra, A. Al-Mestarihi, B.O. Bachmann and J.L. Vey, "X-ray crystal structure of DnmZ, a nitrososynthase in the Streptomyces peucetius anthracycline biosynthetic pathway." Acta Crystallo-graphica, F71, 1205 (2015). D.P. Dowling, J.L. Vey, AK. Croft and C.L. Drennan, “Structural diversity in the AdoMet radical enzyme superfamily”, Biochimica et Biophysica Acta, Proteins and Proteomics 1824, 1178 (2012).

J.L. Vey and C.L. Drennan, “Structural Insights into Radical Generation by the AdoMet Radical Superfamily”, Chemical Reviews 111, 2487 (2011).

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LI YE (Li.Ye@csun.edu)

B.S., Huaqiao University, China; M.S., Huaqiao University, China; Ph.D., University of South Florida. (Chemical Education)

The overarching goal of Dr. Ye’ s research is to improve teaching and student learning processes in secondary and post-secondary chemistry. To achieve this goal, the following three areas are her lab’s main interests: 1. Development and implementation of novel assessments: Multiple educational theories value the active process of linking concepts to promote meaningful over rote learning. To promote meaningful learning, assessment practices that encourage the linking of concepts need to be developed and utilized. Creative Exercises (CEs) are an open-ended assessment technique where students are given a single prompt in chemistry and asked to write as many statements as they can that are distinct, correct, and relevant to the prompt. Measure of Linked Concepts (MLCs) is designed based on student responses to CEs. Each MLC is composed of a simple prompt and a series of correct and incorrect links span the content of previous content in the course. Students are asked to evaluate each link as either true or false. These assessments require students to actively incorporate their prior knowledge to existing knowledge. They have the potential to promote meaningful learning. Previous work has collected evidence for the validity of the two assessments in General Chemistry. Future research in Dr. Ye’ s lab will examine how students link chemistry concepts among different topics, to what extent these assessments help students learn chemistry meaningfully and their relationships to student performance and retention. 2. Investigation of students’ study habits: The starting point of this research was curiosity about the question “What are the efforts students make to help them learn chemistry effectively?” Understanding student learning and their experiences toward learning is important for instructors to make decisions about instructional practices. Dr. Ye’ s lab seeks to examine a novel tool for measuring students’ study habits – text message inquiries. Prior study explored how students study chemistry at multiple points of time (types and frequencies of studying), and the effective study habits (e.g. deep learning) and factors (e.g. metacognitive skills) that lead to

better academic performance in General Chemistry. Future research will expand the use of this data collection tool to investigate students’ study habits in different chemistry courses. Similarities and differences among students’ study habits for different chemistry courses and changes over the chemistry courses will be examined. Also, interventions targeted to study skills in chemistry will be designed and implemented in chemistry courses. 3. Design and evaluation of novel instructional methods: The third research area of Dr Ye’s group is also focused on incorporating cooperative learning in chemistry teaching. Cooperative learning is a learner-centered instructional strategy in which students work in groups on well-designed learning tasks to improve mastery of course content, it offers opportunities for students to share, help and teach each other. The purpose of the research is to optimize components of cooperative learning and maximize student interactions and learning outcomes. The key components we examine include individual accountability, positive interdependence, and development of explaining behaviors and social skills. Dr. Ye is also interested in transforming traditional chemistry classrooms into flipped classrooms, a novel pedagogical technique moves traditional lectures out-of-class through pre-record videos and students spend more time working on problems in-class. The effectiveness of the above novel instructional methods will be evaluated. Dr. Ye is also working with a science education team at CSUN to support secondary science teachers in LA unified school district, please check this link out if you want to know more information about her recent activities: https://sites.google.com/site/csuncscs/ Chemistry Education Research is an interdisciplinary research field. As a research member in Dr. Ye’s research group, other than chemistry content knowledge, a student will learn a variety of educational theories that explain how people learn and a wide range of assessment tools available in chemistry. The student will also learn a series of quantitative and qualitative research methods and the software to perform relevant analyses. In educational research, quantitative methods collect, analyze and interpret numerical data such as test scores, responses to Likert–type surveys, etc. Qualitative methods involve textual data obtained from in-depth interviews, observations, open-ended questionnaires, etc. These tools and techniques will help student gain access to diverse career opportunities related to teaching and research.

Selected Publications: Ye, L., Shuniak C., Oueini R., Robert J., Lewis, S. (2016). Can they succeed? Exploring At-Risk Students’ Study Habits in College General Chemistry. Chemistry Education Research and Practice, 17, 878-892. Ye, L., Oueini, R., Lewis, S.E. (2015). Developing and Implementing an Assessment Technique to Measure Linked Concepts. Journal of Chemical Education, 92, 1807-1812. Ye, L., Oueini, R., Dickerson, A.P., Lewis, S.E. (2015). Learning Beyond the Classroom: Using Text Messages to Measure General Chemistry Students’ Study Habits. Chemistry Education Research and Practice, 16, 869-878. Ye, L., Lewis, S.E., Raker, J.R. & Oueini, R. (2015). Examining the Impact of Chemistry Education Research Articles from 2007 through 2013 by Citation Counts. Journal of Chemical Education, 92, 1299-1305.

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Surfing at Topanga beach

For more information regarding the Master's Degree programs in Chemistry or Biochemistry, please write or e-mail:

Graduate Coordinator

Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry California State University, Northridge

Northridge, California 91330-8262 E-mail: karin.crowhurst@csun.edu

Visit the CSUN Chemistry and Biochemistry home page

http://www.csun.edu/chemistry